


Struggling to see

by Exostrike



Series: Struggling to see [2]
Category: Avatar (2009)
Genre: Alien Culture, Anal Sex, Eventual Romance, Eventual Smut, M/M, Post-Canon, Size Difference, Slow Burn, Training, Tsu'tey lives
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-28
Updated: 2020-06-15
Packaged: 2020-09-28 18:48:37
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 10
Words: 69,239
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20430725
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Exostrike/pseuds/Exostrike
Summary: Tsu'tey thought he was the best teacher in the clan. That was before he agreed to teach the dreamwalker Norm Spellman.The story of Norm's training to be a warrior of the Omaticaya and their suprising developing relationship.Sequel to Repeated Meetings





	1. Chapter 1

Tsu’tey hadn’t realised how much he had missed the jungle until he was walking through the trees again. The weeks coped up in the sky people’s avatar compound had been driving him crazy by the end. Too many unnatural electric clicks and whirring sounds.While they had tried to replicate the forest inside, their results had been unnatural and sterile without the insects and animals to give it movement.

A loud crack snapped him back to reality. “Sorry,” Norm lifting his food off the twig he had trodden on while following him.

“You make too much noise,” Tsu’tey said. He had promised Norm that he would teach him the ways of the people but after seeing how he handled himself out here it was clear what a massive task he’d set for himself. 

“I’m doing my best,” Norm said, lugging his backpack.

“I said you wouldn’t need those things,” Tsu’tey pointed at the large backpack and rifle norm was carrying. “They make you clumsy.”

“No offense, but I want to keep this body intact,” Norm said.

“If you could see you wouldn’t need them to survive,” Tsu’tey replied. A properly trained warrior could survive in the jungle for months with just a knife.

“I thought that’s why we were out here? To train me,” Norm said.

“Fine!” Tsu’tey said in frustration, suddenly stopping in a clearing. “Your training begins now.”

“Really? We aren’t going to rejoin the clan first?” Norm asked.

“And allow others to distract you? Being one of the people is about more than existing in a clan, it is about your place in the world and your ability to overcome it. So many lessons are learned alone in the jungle,” Tsu’tey explained. Norm looked somewhat disappointed. Tsu’tey knew full well that Norm was more interested in inter-clan relationships than actual hunting skills, viewing his training more as a way in, like Jake. But he would make a warrior of them him come what may. “Now, I will teach you the ways of the warrior, in the ways of the people. You will not simply learn, you will begin to see. Do you swear to this pact, Norm Spellman?” he said. 

“I do. So what is the first thing we’re doing?” Norm asked, casually accepting the oath. “You’ve already shown me how to ride.”

“Not so fast,” Tsu’tey said. “I taught you to ride in a moment of crisis. I would not let a child who can barely crawl ride a pa’li. And you did fall off.”

“What do you mean crawl?” Norm said insulted.

“The way you move through the world. You’re slow and noisy, I could hear you a mile away. You make elementary mistakes like that twig makes there.” he waved behind them. “Let use see how well you can traverse the world without someone to guide you. Make your way to that tree,” he pointed at a giant kelutral in the distance.

“Alone?” Norm said concerned.

“You should be safe. You have that weapon after all.” Tsu’tey gestured at Norm’s rifle. “Anyway, you sky people have driven so many animals from this area.”

“Fine, but don’t lose that dog tag, or we’ll get shot at when we return,” Norm warned. Tsu’tey touched the sky person tags around his neck. They’d insisted he wear them unless their soulless weapons would kill him. How he failed to understand.

“I won’t. Wait 60 breaths before following me.” He said before leaping into the jungle.

To give Norm at least some chance he stuck to the ground despite the ample branches that could take him to the treetops on a faster route. After a while he reached the base of the tree and sat down to wait. He cracked a mild smile when after 60 breathes Norm did not appear from the jungle, clearly he would be here for a while. It was only later with Norm still not arrived that Tsu’tey grew concerned. He had not lost a student before, nor would the other sky people be pleased if one of their numbers died under his watch. He gave him a little longer before going off to look for him.

This time he went high into the tree tops, leaping from branch to branch letting his senses guide him towards where the jungle was disturbed. He found Norm hacking his way through a thick patch of undergrowth that a child would simply detour around about two thirds from where they had started. An almost acceptable performance for a first attempt Tsu’tey admitted, at least given how inefficiently he was moving, but being a Omaticaya warrior was about being more than satisfactory. He dropped down behind Norm and made the howl of a nantang. Norm instantly froze in terror before struggling to ready his rifle. “No need, it’s just me,” Tsu’tey said, stepping into the open.

“Jesus. Don’t scare me like that,” Norm said lowering the weapon.

“My name is not Jesus,” Tsu’tey point out.

“It’s an expression,” Norm explained. “Anyway, why’d you do that?”

“To see how you would react” Tsu’tey replied. It was true, mostly. “It is clear you do not know how to read the jungle. You would have known that was not a hunting howl.”

“Hey, we were told to always be ready in case of animal attack,” Norm explained.

“But neither did you sense my approach. I could have shot you and you would never had known,” Tsu’tey said.

“Well I was concentrating on getting to the tree as soon as possible,” Norm pointed at the tree hanging over them. “We’re all supposed to be allies now. But I take it I took too long?”

“Correct. As I said, slow and clumsy. You attempt to hack your way through the jungle rather than flowing with it,” Tsu’tey pointed to the path Norm had cut.

“You mean take a detour? I tried that and got lost for 5 minutes.”

“Then we must hone your internal navigation skills,” Tsu’tey mentally added the skill to the growing list. “And you must lose that backpack, it is slowing you down.”

“Okay, if you keep ragging on it, you try it.” Norm said pulling off the backpack.

“Fine,” Tsu’tey said grabbing the item. “What do you have in this thing?” he asked after feeling the weight.

“At least you’re not hauling science equipment. This just has some survival equipment in it,” Norm said. Tsu’tey struggled with the unnatural straps as the backpack hung loose. “Here, let me help you,” he added, pulling on the buckles tight.

“Thanks,” Tsu’tey muttered, annoyed at being humbled by Norm. “Follow me,” he said, moving off and feeling the unusual weight on his back. 

Despite the extra weight Tsu’tey still easily kept ahead of Norm, so perhaps the backpack wasn’t the issue. “You need to lose that sky person clothing,” Tsu’tey said as Norm untangled himself from a spiney bush. “A simple loincloth is all you need,” he patted his own.

“No offense, but let’s take this one step at a time,” Norm looked uncomfortable.

“Jake accepted the loincloth easily,” Tsu’tey pointed out.

“But I’m not Jake.”

“It will come in time,” Tsu’tey realised he was pushing too quickly. Norm was not a warrior after all, he had to take this in stages. 

Finally they reached the base of the great kelutral tree they’d been aiming for. “So what happens now?” Norm asking pausing for breath.

“We climb,” Tsu’tey pointed into the darkness between the tree roots. “You need to master climbing as well as running through the forest. This will be a good starting point.” 

The giant kelutral tree was a relic, even by the standards of its kind. However it was long past its prime. While it endured and was still strong, it’s strength was fading, time starting to take its toll on its roots. Within a few centuries, Ewya could claim it and move the cycle of the forests on. Tsu’tey found himself strangely melancholy as they walked beneath it to access the interior. It reminded him too much of Hometree. As they reached the central chamber, he could almost see the firepit and the Toruk totem in his mind. Then the images of its destruction flowed up, the smell of burning wood, the flames, the screams.

“Is there a problem?” Norm asked. Tsu'tey realised he had paused in thought.

“No. I am fine,” he lied suppressing those thoughts. A warrior must be strong.

“Still an incredible place. I’m surprised another clan didn’t set up,” Norm starred up through the trunk.

“It is unsuitable. No good source of freshwater, and the jungle is too thick to easily travel on a pa’li,” Tsu’tey explained. “Plus, it is too close to your base.” 

The climb up the trunk was tricky. The interior spokes were unevenly spread out, leaving only a single navigable route up. While it was still a pretty easy climb for Tsu’tey, Norm sweated trying to keep up. “Do you not climb your great buildings like this?” Tsu’tey asked, leaping up several spokes at once .

“Usually I take the lift. And stairs are easier than this,” Norm replied as he carefully stepped from one to another.

Tsu’tey heard a crack. He turned and barely saw the wood flex before it gave way beneath Norm. Norm fell forward, surprised, arms flailing uncontrollably. Reacting on instinct, Tsu’tey turned to grab him. His rifle tumbled free to the ground below. Tsu’tey snatched at Norm before he disappeared completely.

“Fuck! Fuck!” Norm screamed as he hung in mid air.

“Don’t worry! I have got you!” Tsu’tey said, keeping one of his palms grasped around Norm’s arm. “Give me your other hand.”

He didn’t know how long he could resist, the muscles in his shoulders screamed with excruciating pain. Meanwhile, Norm could barely life his other hand up for Tsu’tey. Tsu’tey tried to pull Norm up, but his current position made it impossible. “Swing yourself to the wall,” he said.

“What?”

“Push yourself with your feet.” 

Following the instruction, Norm started to swing himself towards the central spine while Tsu’tey took the strain. After gaining some impulse, Norm could brace himself against the wood, and Tsu’tey was able to haul him up enough for him to get a grip on the step. 

“Oh god,” was all Norm said as he finally hauled himself to safety.

“Well, that was unexpected,” Tsu’tey commented, looking down the trunk. He realised this wasn’t the moment to criticise Norm’s reaction. The falling wood broke several spokes below them, which would make climbing down harder later. Not impossible for him, but a certainty for Norm.

“So... what do we do now?” Norm asked.

“We continue climbing,” Tsu’tey said, this time going behind Norm, it would give him time to think.

After finishing the climb, with Tsu’tey going behind Norm this time they reached an opening that exited onto a major branch. “Okay, you can wait here,”Tsu’tey said putting Norm’s backpack down. “I will go back down and get help. You’ve got food and a weapon,” he pointed at the machete on Norm’s hip.

“I’ve got a better plan,” Norm reached into the bag and pulled down a black and yellow object. “After Jake got lost, Grace insisted we all carry a radio.”

“You really think that will help us?” Tsu’tey asked. Grace had taught them the concept of radio, a form of communication via invisible light. Jake had given Neytiri one of them just before the final battle. But they only had a limited range due to something to do with magmatism. Grace had explained it with a piece of floating rock.

“Not this one. Its hooked into the orbital network. Now if we can just get a signal...” he said, but his voice stopped as he turned around.

Tsu’tey looked over as well at the visa below them. The rolling tree tops, the flowing river and the flight of birds just breaking through the canopy. The only thing spoiling the perfect image was the sight of the sky people’s base in the distance. A dark smugde in a sea of green belching out foul noxious gases. “You should have seen the view from Hometree,” he commented as he also considered the view.

“Perhaps I should have,” Norm said before fiddling with the device. “Come on. Connect! Hello, Control, this is Norm calling. Over.”

“This is Control,” a voice finally came through on the other end. “Norm! We were wondering how your trip beyond the wire was going.”

“Hello Metzger,” Norm seemed slightly hostile to this unseen voice. “Is Max there?”

“Max was just called away a few minutes ago, afraid it’s just me in control right now. Is there a situation? ”

“Afraid so. We’re stuck up a tree,”

“Stuck up a tree? You lot not being chased by a thanator again?” Metzger appeared to joke.

“No,” Norm snapped in annoyance, “One of the big ones. A branch collapsed and we can’t get down safely.”

“And you need an evac team to get you off?”

“If so.”

“Okay, your GPS coordinates are logged. Will try to organise a team to get you but it’s going to take some time we’re short staffed as it is. Command out.”

“That is it?” Tsu’tey asked. “We just wait?”

“Yep. At least we know help is coming. Plus we’ll see when they take off,” Norm pointed to the distant base as he put the radio away.

“Good. We will use this time to train your combat skills,” Tsu’tey said, dropping into a series of combat stretches. 

“What?” Norm said.

“Being a warrior is not just navigating the jungle and archery. It also involves struggle and combat, both against beast and Na’vi,” Tsu’tey explained.

“Is this really the place to do this?” Norm looked down at the branch.

“Combat never takes place where you want it. You must be ready to fight anywhere. If we are careful we will be fine. Now come at me!”

Unsure of himself, Norm put up his fists and shuffled forward. Tsu’tey kept his hands open. Seeing the opening Norm took the bait and lashed out. Tsu’tey shifted around the thrust and grabbed the arm while smashing into Norm’s shoulder with the other. 

He resisted finishing the manoeuvrer and smashing Norm to the floor. “You were overeager,” he said letting go of him. “If you had read me at all you would have seen that I was deliberately leaving myself open.”

“You know I don’t have any experience of fighting,” Norm pointed out as he struggled to his feet.

“Did you not fight with your brothers?”

“I’m an only child. Even at school it was pretty much all cyberbullying on social media.” Tsu’tey looked confused at the strange sky people words Norm had said.

“Forget it,” he decided, refusing to get distracted. “Again.”

This time Norm waited, trying to find an opening. It was only when Tsu’tey shifted to the side that he pounced and tried to punch under Tsu’tey’s guard. It was a good strategy but he put far too much momentum into it, allowing Tsu’tey to sidestep the attack. Norm carrying on past, stumbling as he lost control. He stopped at the edge of the branch.

He froze as if transfixed by the ground far below, wobbling uncertainly. Fearful that was was going to lose his balance, Tsu’tey grabbed his hand and tugged him back. “I hope I did not have to save your life twice,” he said , snapping Norm out of his paralysis.

“Thanks,” he muttered. 

“That’s the second time you’ve frozen up here.” Tsu’tey probed him. “Is something wrong?”

“Well it’s just that I don’t like heights,” Norm explained. “I always keep imagining that I’m going to fall off.”

“You don’t like heights?” The statement made no sense to Tsu’tey. “But you come from another star and I’ve seen you in one of your flying machines.”

“One, I was in cryo when I was in space. Two, it’s not the height that gets me, it’s more the edge.” he tried to explain when an ikran screech sounded.

They looked up to see an ikran circling the tree above them. Seeing them it turned to come land next to them. Norm leapt back while Tsu’tey just stood there. There was enough room for the ikran to land and he recognised the beast’s markings and knew who the rider was.

“So I heard you two had gotten yourself in trouble,” Jake Sully said dismounting from his mount.

“Nothing I couldn’t have dealt with,” Tsu’tey said coldly.

“I’m sure you could’ve,” Jake said. “But I suspected with Norm you’d need some help. How is the training going?” he asked Norm.

“Not what I expected,” Norm admitted. “Tsu’tey certainly isn’t Neytiri, no offense. You didn’t nearly die on your first day.”

“Maybe not during the training,” Jake admitted, looking concerned at Norm for a second. “Metzger told me the details. A branch broke or something.”

“One of the steps up the central spine” Tsu’tey said taking Jake to point at the stop where it had happened. “Why were you at the sky people base?” It wasn’t proper for a Olo'eyktan to be away from the clan for too long, especially to visit sky people even if they were now their allies.

“Wanted to grab a laptop and a better radio. That way we can keep in contact. Better than having to fly in every time we want to talk about something,” Jake explained pointing to a duffel bag lashed to his saddle. “But while I was with Max getting it out of storage, Metzger came and told us about you two and I realised that I was much better placed to help. No way they could have landed a Sampson in here,” he gestured around at the branch.

“So now that you’re here. How are you going to get us down?” Norm asked

“Who said anything about getting down?” Jake said “We fly out,” he slapped the side of his ikran’s neck that gave a friendly hiss. 

“All of us?” Norm asked a little taken aback at the prospect.

“It is rare for three to ride on a single ikran,” Tsu’tey also warned.

“You can take my word. I know she can handle it,” Jake said, the ikran giving a quick snap in agreement. “You’ve never flown on an ikran before, have you?” Jake asked Norm who had jumped at the reaction.

“No,” Norm said stepping back a bit.

“You’ll love it,” Jake said ignoring Norm’s reaction. “Wait until you have your own.”

“Sure,” Norm agreed though his face said otherwise.

Jake’s Ikran came out of the dive just above the treetops and barreled across the landscape. “Hell yeah, baby!” Jake whooped as they shot over the branches flashing by. “Never gets old.”

“You certainly love to fly,” Tsu’tey commented, sitting just behind him. The flight was simply reminding him that his own ikran lay dead on the battlefield, one wing blown off.

“I dreamed of it,” Jake admitted. “You doing alright Norm?”

“Yeah,” Norm replied just as they crested a valley and Jake put her into another shallow dive. Not the sharp dive with the pull up at the last second that Tsu’tey had seen him do. Norm’s fingers dug sharply into Tsu’tey’s waist. 

Finally the sky people’s base appeared below them, after a single pass to burn off speed Jake landed the Ikran on the airfield near the avatar compound. “That wasn’t too bad, was it?” Jake asked, leaping off as one of the remaining mechanics approached them. Jake made a recognition signal to let them know who they were.

“Certainly an experience,” Norm said letting go and sliding down the Ikran’s rear.

“A good flight. You managed the extra weight well,” Tsu’tey said. He didn’t want to think how Norm had reacted if Jake had been able to truly go free. 

“Well if it’s okay with you two I should probably take a break,” Norm said. “My body is probably bursting for a piss.” Tsu’tey nodded in acceptance. There would be no more lessons today. 

“You need to cut down on your in-take before you go into the link unit. Grace told me that one early on,” Jake said as Norm headed toward the avatar compound.

“Don’t have much experience of being in the link long term,” he replied.

After watching Norm disappear Jake turned to Tsu’tey. “I suppose we should have a little chat.”

“About what?” Tsu’tey asked.

“Your place in the clan,” Jake replied.

“If you wish me to return?” Tsu’tey said. It was not unheard of for people to become clanless after a non smooth transition of power.

“Of course I want you back,” Jake said surprised at the suggestion. “Look, I know there is a lot of bad blood between us, but you are the clan’s best hunter and I need someone people can look up to as leader of the hunt.”

“There are other warriors just as respected,” Tsu’tey said, acting uninterested.

“But none with the training to be a Olo'eyktan,” Jake pointed out. “There is so much about being a clan leader that I don’t know. while Neytiri and Mo’at are giving me advice. I would feel better with some actual experience by my side.” Tsu’tey considered the offer, it would restore much of his status and pride. Then again it would underline the fact that Jake had taken his mate and his destiny.

“How did Norm’s first day of training go?” Jake asked before he could reply.

“He will never be a warrior.” Tsu’tey stated. “He is like all the other dream walkers before you. A weak child that can barely walk through the jungle. He seems to have too much sky person in him,” he let out his pent up emotions from the day’s experiences.

“I seem to remember you and Neytiri said the same about me,” Jake pointed out.

“You were already a warrior. Even I could see that,” Tsu’tey countered. “Perhaps in a few years he could be a weaver,” he used an insult hunters often made in secret towards those that decided to dedicate themselves to the clan as artisans instead of hunters.

“I think you’re wrong about Norm,” Jake said, totally missing the insult. “Sure, he’s a civilian, but I’ve seen that he’s got the fire deep down there. You just need the right attitude to bring it out in him.”

“How do you mean?” Tsu’tey asked. The best way a Na’vi learned was through struggle and perseverance to overcome.

“Old trick I learned at boot camp. I’m sure here you can’t run away from training, but where we come from someone like Norm can always just quit if you push him too hard, like trekking through the jungle alone or fist fights.”

“He took the oath to do the training,” Tsu’tey pointed out.

“I doubt he sees it like that. Anyway, you need a bit of carrot and stick.”

“You suggest I beat Norm?” Tsu’tey said, he knew the sky people could be brutal sometimes but not to their own.

“What? No! Fine, yovo fruit and stick,” Jake tried to adapt the expression. “You give him just enough of stuff that he finds interesting or fun that he is willing to do the stuff he isn’t.”

“But what interests him yet helps his training?” Tsu’tey asked.

“That is yours to find out,” Jake replied. “But here’s the deal, if you can train Norm up enough for him to become one of the people, you can be leader of the hunt?”

“I accept your offer,” Tsu’tey said.

A figure approached them from the main base which resolved itself into human Norm. “Sorry I took so long,” he wheezed as he reached to them. “Had to take such a long shit after I got off the bed,”

“Yeah, doing it long term was brutal on the body. You think you can handle it?” Jake asked.

“I think so. What have you two just been chatting about?” Norm replied.

“Talking about your training,” Jake said. “Tsu’tey thinks you have promise. We were just swapping training advice.

“Yes, potential,” Tsu’tey muttered, slightly stunned at the deception but not risking an open confrontation.

“Really? I thought I did pretty poorly,” Norm said.

“Hey, no one’s first day is perfect,” Jake said. “And every tomorrow is a new day.”

“When did you turn into a philosopher?” Norm asked. “Oh by the way, Metzger asked me to ask again about the retrieval operation.”

“I’ll speak to Mo’at again, but I’m afraid the answer is still likely to be no. No humans anywhere near the tree of souls.” Jake explained.

“What I told him, but he keeps on pushing for it,” Norm replied. “You ready to leave?”

“Pretty much,” Jake said rechecking his cargo. “Will keep in touch!” he shouted as his ikran flapped into the air and flew away. 

Tsu’tey tossed and turned on the alien bed in the Avatar compound. The harsh flood lights of the base were shining through one of the blinds. He would have preferred to sleep on the ground outside but the sky people would not allow it. Kept setting off the security system they said. He looked over the rows of dream walkers asleep but unnaturally still. The sooner he could leave this place the better. He looked over at Norm’s body as well. Better for him as well. Allowing him to return to the sky people’s base meant he could not hone the mindset to see. It would always be a dream to him. 

Tsu’tey leaned forward to look at Norm’s face. Despite their alien features their faces had always fascinated him in how they shaped their own but failed. The face twitched suddenly. Tsu’tey jumped back. “Hope I didn’t wake you?” Norm said awakening.

“No,” he replied as if nothing had happened. “Why are you in this body at this time?” he asked. The dream walkers usually disconnected during the night.

“It’s just that we’re having a film night. Thought you might be interested,” Norm replied.

“A film? Why would I want to see that?” Tsu’tey knew what a film was, Grace had shown them moving images of the talking animal called a rabbit.

“Just thought you might want to see it,” Norm said. “If I’m going to be learning about your culture you might as well learn something about mine. But if you’re not interested...” he made to go to sleep again.

“Wait,” Tsu’tey stopped him. “I will take your offer.” He was bored spending his time wandering the compound.

Norm took him to one of the giant metal hangers where a crowd of sky people were waiting near a giant white screen. “So our guest has finally showed himself. I feared he was avoiding us,” a bald male commented. 

“What would I want with you?” Tsu’tey said, glaring at the man. He recognised his clothing to be the same kind of the sky people warriors. He thought they had all been forced to leave, only to be told they had had kept a few behind. Not enough room they said. Regardless,he had no interest in interacting with the sky people until now, despite their attempts.

“Is it safe for him to be here?” a dark skinned man asked. Tsu’tey always wondered how many shades sky people came in.

“Should be if we keep beyond the red line, Max.” Norm said. It was only then that Tsu’tey noted that the sky people were not wearing their ubiquitous masks and were all stood beyond a further orange and green line. “Overpressure,” Norm said answering the obvious question. “Only lets air out so everyone doesn’t choke.” Tsu’tey noticed the draft though the room. 

“You’re going to log off?” Max asked.

“No point. Would have to go from the link room twice,” Norm said.

“Okay, let’s get the party started,” Max said while fiddling with a computer. 

Tsu’tey sat on the hard concrete floor as the surreal experience played, mostly in silence. It was about a child in even more impractical clothing than the sky people in front of them that lived in a black and white world. After a storm she was in colour and in a strange world of tiny sky people that sang, green skinned women in black, a man made of straw and another made of metal. It was only when they met another that claimed to be a mighty animal that Tsu’tey decided they were a false illusion. There was no way that being was an animal. “What do you think?” Norm asked as the group collapsed in a field of flowers.

“It makes no sense,” Tsu’tey replied. All stories of the na’vi had a clear morale or teaching. Even the books Grace had thought them to read with had a purpose. This just seemed to exist to entertain. “And it doesn’t look right,” it was off in a way he couldn’t describe, slightly dull.

“Our eyes are slightly different. You can see into the infrared, we can’t.” Norm explained. 

The film did not improve as they watched it. The characters confronted a green monster in a green city that was later revealed to be an illusion from another sky person. The trio finally defeated the green female, despite many previous opportunities, though not through combat but instead water for some reason. Tsu’tey was pretty sure sky people did not melt in the rain. Finally the young female sky person after failing to return home on a varumut like contraption was returned to their black and white world by clicking her impossibly practical footwear together. Somehow. 

“That is it?” Tsu’tey asked as the sky people sat up.

“It’s a classic,” Norm explained.

“You have weird stories,” Tsu’tey replied.

“I always found it a bit too whimsy.” the bald soldier commented walking towards them, pulling on his mask. “But my suggestion of Aliens was turned down,”

“Not a good choice with Tsu’tey being here, Metzger.” Norm pointed out reproachfully. Tsu’tey realised that he had heard the voice before, on the radio.

“It was just a joke. Anyway, you two leaving? I’m closing up the hanger,” Metzger said, walking over to a machine next to the entrance. Tsu’tey noticed the Na’vi knife strapped to his waist.

“Where did you get that?” he asked voice raised, stepping towards him. Metzger looked up as Tsu’tey approached. His hand automatically shifted towards his holster. Tsu’tey tensed to pounce if he drew the weapon. Norm sensing the danger, rushed to get between them. However Metzger paused before shifting to unhook the knife.

“I suppose you want to know about this,” He said, offering the weapon. “Everyone does.”

Tsu’tey snatched the weapon to examine it . Clearly Metzger had taken the weapon from a na’vi he had killed, or just stolen after a gunship attack. Then he realised Metzger had replied to him in near perfect na’vi. The knife in his hand was strange, it was smaller than a normal hunting knife, perhaps one made for a child, but children’s knives were not made like this.

“Where did you get this?” he asked.

“One of you gave it to me,” Metzger explained.

“When did we ever give your kind gifts?” Tsu’tey pointed out suspiciously.

“It was quite a while ago,” Metzger said. “Sure I don’t think our relationship was ever friendly but when we first met you were pretty friendly. Of course that was before we set up the mine.”

“When we first met? How long have you been here?” Tsu’tey asked.

“Metzger is a bit of a legend,” Max explained, walking over. “He’s been here since the start.”

“The very first day,” Metzger corrected.

Tsu’tey looked at Metzger intently, while he did not much about sky people physiology he could see the age in the man’s face, the wrinkles around the eyes and the lines across the forehead. Certainly not as old as Mo’at, but possibly old enough to have been here when the sky people arrived. “You must be somewhat of an elder,” he said handing the knife back to him.

“Hardly! Once the UN handed full control over to RDA we were viewed as more of an annoyance. But I proved to be enough of an asset to be allowed to stay. Saved everyone a lot of money anyway,” Metzger replied walking over to the door controls. “Are you two leaving now? I don’t want another stingbat to get in.”

“We were just going,” Norm said dragging Tsu’tey out of the hanger. 

The bow creaked as Norm drew it back. “This thing safe?” he asked, pausing.

“It is still good. Now focus,” Tsu’tey said. The sky people had returned a large amount of Na’vi artefacts to him which included a few bows. While none of them Tsu’tey could recognise, he knew their owners were almost certainly dead. Norm redrew the bow, struggling to hold it even below the required draw. “Hold it,” he ordered, pausing to watch Norm straining to hold the bow. “Release.” The arrow shot into the undergrowth next to the tree they had been using a target. 

“Acceptable,” he commented going to retrieve the arrow. “For a first attempt.”

“What do you mean? First attempt?” Norm said. “We’ve been doing this all morning.”

“Which shows how bad you were doing when we started. You are only just getting to where I expected a child to be.” Tsu’tey said.

“My arms are getting tired,” Norm complained.

“Get used to it. It is a sign that you are getting strong. You have at least made good progress for a man who haven’t even fired a bow before.” Tsu’tey pointed out. “And I keep telling you, breath with your lower chest,” He touched Norm’s abs to see if he was doing it right. “With these clothes I can’t see anything,”

“Is my body really that important?” Norm asked, mildly concerned.

“If I can’t see where you are going wrong I can’t tell you to correct it,” Tsu’tey pointed out.

“Perhaps, but I’ll stick with it for the moment.”

“Then you will stick out when we join the clan,” Tsu’tey said.

“You’re heading back? I mean we,” Norm asked.

“Yes. In a couple of days. I am fed up of being with your kind. It will also help your training by forcing you to learn at all times. You will like that.”

“Well, that would be wonderful. But I would point out I’m still going to be logging off and catching up with the rest of the team.”

Tsu’tey scowled at Norm pointing this fact out. “Come, you have practiced enough today,” he said jumping onto a low branch next to the clearing they had been training in. From there he had several branches that would take him up into the canopy.

“Whoa! Wait for me,” Norm said, trying to follow on while also attempting to sling the bow in one hand and carry the arrow in his other.

“Now you try,” Tsu’tey said, he was getting tired of sticking to the ground. It doubled the time to travel even a small distance. 

Norm made the jump but slipped when he reached the branch, falling into the bush below with a thud. “How the hell do you make that look so easy?” he asked as he hauling himself back onto the branch.

“You need to grip with your feet,” Tsu’tey explained while flexing his toes. “Those shoes might be good on a flat surface, but here you need to flex.”

“Let me guess? I need to lose them?” Norm asked before Tsu’tey could add the inevitable.

“It would help.”

“No offence, but these boots were specially made and I doubt I can get replacements if I lose them. And isn’t it murder on your feet?”

“I wouldn’t know. I have been barefoot all my life. I remember that Jake disliked it as well for the first few days.”

“I also remember that he wasn’t running through the treetops on the first day.”

“True, you can keep them for the moment but keep yourself steady,” Tsu’tey said, annoyed that Norm had once again outsmarted him.

They walked through the canopy slowly, much too slow for Tsu’tey’s taste but it was good enough to get Norm used to this mode of travel. There was enough large branches that Norm was safe on that they could keep going until they came to a large canyon. “Well we’re not going to cross that,” Norm said scanning along the edge for fallen tree or other crossing point.

“You think so simply,” Tsu’tey said, grasping one of the vines next to them.

“Oh... please don’t tell me you’re going to do what I think your going to do.” Norm said aghast.

“What is the problem? We’re higher than the other side and there is a lot of soft undergrowth over there,” Tsu’tey said, hauling up the vine.

“Apart from the fall.”

“Nonsense, there it a lot of foliage down there to break your fall,” Tsu’tey pointed, handing Norm the prepared vine and preparing another for himself. “Just jump and let the swing carry you to the over side.” Norm looked at him concerned. “Is the height too much?” Tsu’tey asked.

“No, it’s more I’m worried about breaking my neck...” Norm said.

“Don’t think, just do.” Tsu’tey said tensing his body. “We go together?”

“Okay,” Norm said unsurely.

“Go!” Tsu’tey said, jumping forward off the branch and over the canyon. The vine jerked as it went taut and swung him out across the space. The other side rushed up beneath him. Letting go, Tsu’tey rolled forward to come to a stop. “How was that?” He asked Norm looking over to find him missing. Turning around he saw Norm still on the other side of the canyon, clearly frozen in terror. “You can do it!” Tsu’tey shouted over to him. It would take forever to find a way back over and get back to him.“I can’t. I’m sorry,” Norm said, moving to drop the vine. 

Then he slipped. He fell forward off the branch and hurtled towards the ground, screaming. Thankfully he was still grasping the vine which began to swing out. He doesn’t have enough energy to swing all the way, Tsu’tey realised. He moved to grab the vine as it moved past, barely coming over to the other side. Norm hit the ground hard. “Oh god!” he wheezed, getting up.

“I think that is the third time I have saved you.” Tsu’tey said.

“I’m sorry, but when you jumped like that I just couldn’t do it...” Norm said.

“But you made the jump. Even if it was not entirely by choice.” Tsu’tey reassured him.

“You may have a point about the shoes. Do you know which way back to the base?” Norm said looking around the forest totally lost.

“Of course. I used to hunt these lands,” Tsu’tey said pointing the right direction.

They walked through the jungle, Norm actually able to keep up with Tsu’tey for the most part. “So may I ask, if you can hunt talioang, why do you spend so much of your time hunting yerik?” Norm asked.

“A talioang herd can only take so many kills before it is too depleted. Meanwhile there is always another yerik. Their hide is also easier to work,” Tsu’tey explained.

“Interesting, do you prefer to target an entire yerik herd or target solo animals?”

“You are overthinking the hunt. Once you start hunting yourself you will realise such questions are unnecessary.” 

Tsu’tey suddenly recognised the trees they were walking through. He stopped suddenly, realising what they were heading towards. “We shouldn’t have come this way,” he said turning away hurriedly.

“Hey, I think we’re at the school house,” Norm said, spotting the buildings through the trees up ahead.

“That is the problem,” Tsu’tey replied, mentally cursing. No chance of avoiding it. 

“Come on, if I remember correctly the base is on the other side,” Norm said.

“No!” Tsu’tey snapped at him. “I will not go there.”

“Why?” Norm asked before the reason hit him. “Oh, this is bringing back painful memories, right.”

“Yes,” Tsu’tey said, of course he had bad memories of that place. He could barely even look at the buildings.

“Do you want to talk about it?” Norm said.

“No.” Tsu’tey fought to keep the memories from flooding back. What right did he have to ask about this?

“I understand. Maybe we can just detour around,” Norm said beginning to change direction, but it was too late. The images poured into his head. Sylwanin standing in the doorway facing the sky people soldiers. Dr Augstine, mother moving to stand between then. She could protect them. Then they shot her. 

“They killed her!” Tsu’tey suddenly screamed beating his fist into a tree in rage. “She was just standing there and they blew her apart! They killed my love...” he sobbed. All he could remember despite the flying bullets was the spray of blood as she hit the floor. “Your kind!” he shot a dark look at Norm. He was still ultimately a sky person in a false body. They had destroyed hometree, they had tried to destroy the tree of souls. Who knew what further evil they could do. 

“Hey! You can’t blame me, I wasn’t even here!” Norm said jumping back in fear at Tsu’tey’s reaction, snapping him out of his rage.

“Sorry,” Tsu’tey apologised. Suddenly regretful for comparing Norm with the sky people warriors. Norm had fought with them in the final battle, nearly sacrificing one of his bodies for it. 

“Who was she?” Norm asked, trying to make sense of Tsu’tey’s outburst.

“Sylwanin, my one true love,” Tsu’tey replied wiping the tears from his eyes. It was not proper for a high ranking warrior to be so openly emotional.

“I thought you were to be mated to Neytiri?”

“Sometimes your duty to the clan must come before duty to your heart,” Tsu’tey muttered, regaining his composure.

“I’m sorry for your loss,” was all that Norm could said.

“I still talk to her, but it is not the same,” Tsu’tey said. While their brief conversations via the tree of voices were therapeutic, all they did was remind him that she was dead. 

“Sure,” Norm looked at Tsu’tey with concern, clearly not understanding what he meant.

“Have you lost anyone you loved?” Tsu’tey asked Norm. Had Norm experienced a similar loss?

“Well there was Trudy. Our pilot,” Norm said.

“Yes, she fought with us,” Tsu’tey commented. He had spent little time with the sky person female before the battle beyond her explaining to a group of warriors the best way to destroy gunships. “She fought well. Was she your mate?”

“What! No. It wasn’t that serious, I think,” Norm explained. “It was more a fling. At least I thought it was.” He stopped to think. What kind of people would not pair for life? Tsu’tey considered. “Come on, let’s get out of here,” Norm suggested making to move off. “It’s clear coming this way was a mistake,”

“Yes. Lets.” Tsu’tey agreed. This was something he didn’t want to dwell on much. He dropped into a quick run, seeking to outrun the bad memories.

“Hold up!” Norm struggling to keep up.

“Then run faster!” Tsu’tey called back as they raced through the trees.

Tsu’tey was glad to be leaving the sky people’s base to return to Omaticaya. Their insensate questions and attempts to interact with him were becoming a distraction. He was less pleased however that his return would be via a sky people flying machine. “You’re alright?” Norm asked as he loaded another bag into the small cabin at the back of the machine.

“I am not used to being in one of your metal machines,” he pointed out. “I would prefer to ride with Jake.” he pointed to where Jake was talking to some of the other dream walkers. Norm had convinced Jake to let them travel to the clan, just for the day.

“It’s a new experience. You never know, you might enjoy it.” Norm said.

“It feels good to be finally getting to do some real work,” a male avatar said as he climbed into the machine.

“Hey, at least we’ve all been working,” A female avatar replied, Sarah, Tsu’tey though her name was.

“You can at least go into the jungle and trip over specimens. I came here to study material science, spent the last year working as a common builder,” the male said before looking over to Tsu’tey. “Apologies. Greetings. Name’s Ilram. Good to actually meet one of you,” he added in Na’vi, holding out his hand.

“Greetings,” Tsu’tey replied after a moment looking at the hand.

“We’ve already met,” Sarah said, smiling at him.

“I hope this will be the start of a new period of co-operation and learning,” Ilram commented.

“Perhaps.” Tsu’tey muttered. These dream walkers were all the same, only really interested in gaining knowledge. At least Norm was willing to learn, perhaps to one day see.

“Everyone set?” Jake said leaning his head into the cabin.

“I think we’re all set,” Norm said checking the bags.

“Why do we need all this stuff? I thought we agreed to travel light.” Tsu’tey complained.

“Most of this stuff is science equipment. Got a long list of stuff the rest of the science team wants me to run,” Norm explained. 

“I hope this will not interfere with your training.” Tsu’tey warned.

“Don’t worry, it’s still the main reason I’m coming.”

The familiar sky person sized figure of Metzger approached them. “Any word on my proposal?” he asked coming up to Jake.

“Afraid Mo’at wasn’t particularly supportive,” Jake replied apologetically. Metzger looked at the ground, disappointed. “I should have expected it. There is only so far how much things change,” he said beginning to turn away.

“Wait,” Tsu’tey called out, squeezing himself free of the machine and approaching him. “You have said before that you want to visit the tree of souls. Why?” Metzger looked up at Tsu’tey.

“I don’t want to visit the tree. Its more the battlefield around it. I want to collect the bodies of the dead. Or at least catalogue them.”

“Why?” Tsu’tey asked. While Na’vi warriors always made sure to recover and bury their dead and those of their enemies, it seemed the sky people abandon their dead many times. While there were some exceptions it always struck him as dishonourable and showcased their brutality.

“Do you know how many men I’ve seen lost beyond the wire and have never been able to go back for?” Metzger asked pointing to the perimeter fence behind them. “It’s so dangerous we don’t even try. We lost hundreds in that battle, and I want to do the right even at least once.”

Tsu’tey look at Metzger. He didn’t know much about the man and while he was a soldier, the knife on his belt showed that at some point he had had the respect of the Na’vi, and his goal was just. “I will see what I can do,” Tsu’tey said. Perhaps that restating the case with the voice of a warrior might help.

“Thank you.” Metzger said as Tsu’tey returned to the flying machine.

“Alright, we’re all set and ready to go?” Their pilot at the front cabin asked the group which sounded in agreement.

“You know the plan?” Jake asked.

“Already briefed, follow you to the location, no logging or tracking.” The pilot replied. Jake thumbed up and ran towards his Ikran. Tsu’tey was startled when the entire craft started shaking as its engines flared to life.

“Suppose this is your first time hearing one of these from the inside?” Norm asked, shouting to be heard as the rotors started spinning.

“Yes,” Tsu’tey replied hiding his nervousness as the machine lifted into the sky.

“Yeah these antiques shook me when I first took one. I saw these flying at an air show once.” Ilram commented.

“I don’t think it’s quite like that,” Norm pointed out. No it was not, Tsu’tey thought. There was nothing natural about being stuck in a metal box propelled by lethal spinning blades that he had no control over or could even see where it was going. He mentally hoped the trip would be short. He concentrated on the landscape outside the machine as they flew over the jungle, though he hated to admit it, it was kind of nice to see the world from the air without having to concentrate on flying.


	2. Chapter 2

The metal flying machine that Tsu’tey was told was called a Sampson flew above the jungle following Jake’s ikran, who was leading them towards the new home tree of the Omaticaya. “Dammit! Why can’t he fly straight?!” The pilot complained as Jake took a sudden turn to circle around a group of floating islands.

“He is just following the wind,” Tsu’tey said over the headset he had been given so here everyone else better as he watched Jake’s movements. “Doesn’t tire the ikran out as quickly.”

“Whatever, but these sudden movements are a pain to follow. Wish you’d remember we’re not as manoeuvrable.” The pilot said.

“Sorry,” Jake said, cutting his throat mic into the craft’s circuit. “Afraid I was never a pilot, outside of video games.”

Two black shapes suddenly swooped overhead with a shrill cry, audible over the engines of the craft. They must have come from the floating islands they had just passed. “Jesus!” the pilot shouted, jerking the machine into a drive to dodge them and they circled around again. A harsh alarm blared. 

“Anyone see them?” Norm asked, scrambling to see their attackers.

“Do not be alarmed,” Tsu’tey said, recognising the cry. “They are only here to welcome us.”

The shapes resolved into two ikrans and their riders that took up positions on either side of the craft as it levelled out. Tsu’tey recognised the rider next to him as Atan and called out to him. He doubted Atan actually heard him over the sound of the engines but he gave a welcoming response. “They’re friendly?” Ilram asked.

“We would be dead if they weren’t,” Norm pointed out.

“Correct. It is a common practice to greet a respected visitor to the home of the clan,” Tsu’tey said.

“Wish you lot could have given me some warning,” the pilot complained. “We nearly hit our VNE.”

“Don’t blame me,” Jake said, circling around to wave to the other riders. “They said they wouldn’t come out to greet you. Clearly some of them changed their minds.”

“They’ve come to greet their teacher as he returns home,” Tsu’tey said. It was good of them to turn out for him.

“It shows how much the clan has been missing you.” Jake commented.

Finally the flight turned into the valley where the clan’s new home was. Tsu’tey looked over the site as they circled the site for the best place to land. The clan’s scouts had done well. It was another hometree, perhaps not quite as large as their old home but more than enough for their needs. It lacked a lake as a source of fresh water but he could see a stream or river somewhere below the canopy. The valley limited their movement somewhat, but on the other hand it made it harder for an attacker to assault them. Clearly the clan had decided that this protection outweighed the inconvenience. 

Several figures came out to meet them as they landed in an open space nearby. Tsu’tey saw that Neytiri and Mo’at were amongst them. He exited the craft quickly as Neytiri approached him. “It is good to have you back,” she said to him.

“I am too. The sky people’s base was too stifling,” Tsu’tey replied. “You have done well choosing us a new home.”

“It was Jake who made the decision. He wanted the clan to feel safe.” Neytiri explained. Tsu’tey hoped that it hadn’t been entirely Jake’s decision.

He turned and bowed to Mo’at as she reached them. “Tsahìk,” he greeted her formally.

“Welcome, Tsu’tey. It is good that our former Olo'eyktan has returned to us.” she replied, somewhat formally. The words former Olo'eyktan were somewhat forced, the pure idea of a former Olo'eyktan still being alive was a new concept. “More new dreamwalkers?” She asked noticing Norm and the other avatar exiting the craft.

“Hello! May the Great Mother smile upon our first meeting.” Ilram said, stepping forward. “May she shall.” Mo’at replied.

“Hello! I’m Sarah,” Sarah said as Moa’t turned to here. Tsu’tey saw Norm roll his eyes up at the informal tone.

“Greetings.” Mo’at said, clearly unsure how to react to this. “I hope you do not intend to overwhelm us with dreamwalkers,” she asked as Jake came up from landing his ikran.

“No, these guys are just here for the day,” Jake explained. “Though if they’re good I suppose we can let them come back.” Sarah smiled at that.

“But Norm will be staying here.” Tsu’tey said, cutting into the conversation.

“Ah yes, I understand you have decided to teach Norm our ways...” Mo’at noted, a subtle hint of reproach in her voice.

“Where are the children?” Sarah asked. “Grace said they used came out to meet her.”

“The children have learned to fear your metal machines,” Neytiri said. “They see them as death bringers now. They have run away to hide.”

“I meant no offense,” Sarah said, realising her insensitivity.

“It does not matter,” Mo’at said quickly, stepping in to calm things. “This is a new day after all.”

“And I’m sure Sarah was just excited to see them,” Jake said, clearly thankful of Mo’at’s save. “Let’s give you the tour.”

The tour was short but effectively covered the main area of the new hometree. The space under the tree was a lot of less open and more rocky, though this did lead into a cave system that went into the hillside. The ultimate protection against attack, Tsu’tey noted. In the actual tree itself it only had a single large chamber which had already been turned into a centre of activity. There were several other chambers in the trunk but they were too small to be practical beyond storerooms. “I was thinking about turning one of these into a private bed chamber for me and Neytiri,” Jake said as they exited one of them. 

“But it would be improper for the Olo'eyktan to sleep separate from the clan,” Neytiri pointed out.

“Being Olo'eyktan has its restrictions.” Jake joked as they walked on. 

The tour also let Tsu’tey have a look at the clan’s possessions. While the other clans had donated much, they were still short on pretty much everything- and some of the clan’s unique artifacts were gone forever, even if Neytiri said they would rebuild them. Still, it gave them a reason to split up the group. Ilram would work with the weavers helping, or as Tsu’tey expected disrupting, the making of new tents, while Sarah would assist in preparing the evening meal. “A good way of pulling our weight. Not being a drag on you lot.” Norm noted as Neytiri showed them away.

“Yes. Neytiri’s training of Jake was rather disruptive, at first. You unload all that stuff you insisted on bringing, I need to do something.” Tsu’tey said, slipping away. 

“A moment, Tsahìk.” He said as he caught Mo’at alone for a second.

“What is it?” she asked looking up.

“Back there you seemed disapproving of me teaching Norm. Do you not want me to train him?” Tsu’tey asked, cutting to the chase. He had taken the decision without consulting her or Jake. Jake had been delighted with it.

“I do not disapprove of it,” Mo’at said after a moment's thought. “However I am concerned about what it means for the clan.”

“I’m not sure I understand what you mean.” Tsu’tey asked. Mo’at shifted slightly and looked around to see if anyone was close.

“While you were recovering at the sky people’s base Jake put a proposal to the clan. That we should form an alliance with the sky people left behind, making them honourable members of the clan.”

“Surely he couldn’t have been so stupid!” Tsu’tey said, no way some of his hunters would have accepted that no matter if they had been on their side.

“There was some push back,” Mo’at understated.

“What was your reaction to it?” Tsu’tey asked.

“As Tsahìk, Eywa has been silent on this...” Mo’at carefully sidestepped showing her personal feelings on it. “However it has shown to many that Jake is still a sky person at heart. Some look to you as a stabilising force.”

“I see,” Tsu’tey realized the situation. “And then I come back with Norm as my student, thus confirming their fears.” So Jake did have other reasons for making the deal with him. 

“I did not want this to fester,” Mo’at warned. “The clan has already lost so much. We do not need an internal conflict to weaken us further.”

“I will talk to them.” Tsu’tey said. If they looked on him as an alternative, his word should be enough to calm them. Providing Jake did not have any other bright ideas.

A couple of hunters approached him as he walked away from Mo’at. “Eyktan, it is good to see you.” Takuk said.

“I see you brother,” Tsu’tey replied, looking over the group. Takuk, Maru, Atan and Ka'ani. He could see in their eyes that the battle had changed them from inexperienced hunters into hardened warriors. Even clumsy Ka’ani now carried himself with an air of command. “How is the clan?”

“The clan is healing,” Maru reported. “We are still learning the local hunting grounds.”

“How are they?” Tsu’tey asked. 

“The talioang routes are harder to work,” Takuk said. “But the yerik and fwampop are better.”

“May we have many great hunts together.” Tsu’tey declared, getting a quick cheer from them. “Has there been any news of my ikran?” he added.

“I am afraid he was found crippled,” Takuk said sadly. “There was little we could do.” This hit Tsu’tey greatly, Frìp had been a fine ikran. Knowing he was dead felt like losing a part of himself.

“Then I am no longer an ikran makto. I will have to reperform the Iknimaya.” he noted, suppressing his grief.

“Many of us including Neytiri have lost their ikran. But you are still the best hunter amongst us.” Maru said comforting him.

“Your faith in me is appreciated.” 

“You have been at the sky people base a long time, Tsu’tey. Are you sure your skills have not been weakened?” one of the older hunters said. Tsu’tey looked at him, Tyso was a good hunter but a poor leader. They’d butted heads a few times over kills but nothing more.

“I was healing,” Tsu’tey said truthfully. “It is only by their technology that I am still alive. And I made sure to maintain my strength. Perhaps you would like to test them?” he puffed up his chest.

“I meant no offence,” Tyso said in deference to Tsu’tey rank. “It’s just these dreamwalkers you have returned with are mere children.”

“They are a strange people,” Tsu’tey admitted. “But Jake showed that there are those that can learn our ways. There might be some good in them.”

“Yes, our new Olo'eyktan. Who has some strange ideas...” Tyso muttered. No guessing which side he was on, Tsu’tey noted. 

“Ah, there you are,” Norm suddenly burst into the conservation, picking his way across the chamber. “Sorry for taking so long. Jake showed me where he’s keeping his gear and it was quite a climb.” He looked at the group of hunters. “You’re going to introduce me?” Damn you Norm, Tsu’tey thought. He’d had no real plan about how to introduce the fact he was training Norm to the clan even before he discovered the division Jake had caused. Now his very presence was going to be an issue. Still better to face the inevitable.

“This is Norm Spellman,” he said, remembering how Norm disliked it when he said it as one word. “I am training him.”

“You are training this... child?” Tyso said looking Norm up and down as the group reacted to this news.

“Hey, I’m not a child!” Norm snapped in annoyance.

“You do not see, dreamwalker!” Tyso said back.

“And I am teaching him to see, Tyso.” Tsu’tey said, seeing the fight starting to develop. “He risked his life to fight alongside us against the other sky people. His false body was wounded in battle. Surely that has proved his right to be one of the people.” Tsu’tey looked at how the rest of the group was reacting. Takuk had a look of disdain at Norm, standing there dressed in his sky people clothes. Maru clearly did not think much of him but portrayed no malice. Ka'ani proved surprisingly hard to read, simply studying Norm like a hunter studies prey.

“Did Jake Sully ask you to do this?” Tyso asked.

“I took the decision myself,” Tsu’tey said. “Though I do have the full support of our Olo'eyktan and Tsahìk.” he added, both underlying Jake’s new position and his support.

“If our Olo'eyktan wishes it. But I fear that you have set yourself an impossible task. Now, I must return to my duties.” Tyso said, turning away from them. Tsu’tey was surprised to see Takuk follow him, clearly in hushed conservation as they disappeared. It was clear that Takuk thought the same way of Tyso about Jake.

“What do you want us to do Eyktan?” Atan who had been almost entirely silent this whole time asked.

“Return to your duties. I’m sure you have a lot to do.” Tsu’tey said.

“Thanks for sticking up for me that there,” Norm said as the group broke up. “That Tyso is an asshole.”

“He is closed minded. The war has hurt him,” Tsu’tey said.

“I seem to remember that Jake said the same about you.”

“Perhaps I was closed minded at first,” Tsu’tey admitted thinking back. “Though you do not make it easy for them to accept you.”

“Is this about the clothes again?” Norm asked.

“You do stand out,” Tsu’tey said. Even Jake had changed into Na’vi clothing on his first night. “You are now with the clan. It would be best if you fitted in.” While his full head of unbraided hair and general mannerisms would always make him stand out, it would reassure those like Tyso that Norm was truly becoming one of the people. 

“Let's take it one thing at a time. I don’t think I’m ready for that yet...” Norm said after a moment's thought. Tsu’tey snarled. Norm was still thinking of this as some kind of game or a sky person experiment rather than a journey of transformation. He did not realise the stakes both for him and the clan.

“You better get ready soon. Things are only going to be harder.” he snapped at him.

“Is wearing a loincloth really a necessary part of learning to see?” Norm asked.

“It is the custom. Learning those customs is what being a member of the people is all about. And they are practical.” Tsu’tey said. Why wouldn’t you wear only a loincloth?

“Sounds like a stupid custom to me...” Norm said.

“The clan will not accept you with an attitude like that.” Tsu’tey warned. Norm was proving a difficult student. 

It was starting to get dark when Ilram and Sarah needed to return to the sky people base. “How was it?” Norm asked as they climbed aboard the flying machine while Tsu’tey looked on.

“Well, I have reservations about their food hygiene standards,” Sarah admitted, still wiping animal juices off her arms. “But I have to admit I’ve learnt more about practical applications beyond food today than I’ve done in a year.”

“Yeah, it's so much easier when we can just ask them rather than guessing,” Norm admitted. “How about you Ilram?”

“Six months of reconstructive anthropology just went up in smoke.” Ilram said.

“You were using the wrong technique?” Norm asked.

“Oh now, we got the weaving technique almost right. Turns out he’d been using the wrong type of grass. Still got enough ideas for a dozen projects.” Illram replied.

“It's a pity we have to leave so soon,” Sarah commented. “I’m sure experiencing dinner would have been very informative.”

“No offence, but the “no night flights” rule is there for a reason,” the pilot said sticking his head though the cockpit door. “I’m the one risking my real body for this.”

“Keep your hair on. I’ll record it for you,” Norm said stepping away from the vehicle as its engines spun up.

“So they’re finally gone,” Tsu’tey commented as the flying machine disappeared into the sky.

“Come on, they aren’t that bad.” Norm said.

“They are scientists.” Tsu’tey pointed out.

“I’m a scientist too.” Norm said reproachfully.

“Then you are an exception. You at least are beginning to learn to see.”

“Give them time.”

“Perhaps,” Tsu’tey admitted. He’d watched both of them interacting with the clan, underneath their arrogance they did seem genuinely interested in understanding the way of the people. 

The clan was coming together for dinner when they got back to hometree. Tsu’tey had taken the time for a quick circuit around the tree and to see how Norm handled himself at night.

“You didn’t even slow down,” Norm complained, limping slightly as they walked back.

“The bioluminescence is more than enough to see your path. You were too busy gazing into the sky.” Tsu’tey pointed out, poorly it turned out.

“Sorry. Its just I can never stop being amazed by this place at night.”

“Why should bioluminescence be amazing?” Tsu’tey asked as they climbed up to the central chamber. Sure, it was pretty at times, but it was the same all over the planet.

“Try saying that when the only thing back home to light up the sky is light pollution,” Norm said. Tsu’tey was going to ask what that meant but then they had to jostle their way through to the central firepit.

“Ah, there you are Tsu’tey!” Jake said spotting them in the crowd. “Come over here.” Tsu’tey took his traditional position on his Olo'eyktan’s left while Norm squeezed in beside him.

“People!” Jake called out to the assembled clan. “As many of you already know our greatest warrior, Tsu’tey has returned to us!” A great cheer went up around the chamber. 

“Thank you.” Tsu’tey said to the clan.

“We also have a newcomer with us.” Jake turned to Norm. “He has come to learn from us,” he sidestepped around the idea of Norm joining the clan. “I’m sure you will make him feel welcome.” Silence beyond a few welcoming smiles. Tyso and a group of hunters glared at Norm but stopped when Jake glanced their way.

With the opening announcements out of the way the clan started tucking into plates of food. “How is Norm’s training going?” Jake asked in a quieter voice as people started eating.

“It has been slow. And I have concerns about his willingness to change.” Tsu’tey said, being careful not to let Norm hear him, but he was busy trying to do small talk with the Na’vi next to him.

“It’s more a matter of how you sell it to him. Make him go with the flow-” Jake said. 

Norm suddenly wretched and spat something out.

“Problem?” Jake asked. 

“Sorry,” Norm coughed. “Just tried to eat one of these teylu.” He pointed to the leaf plate being offered around.

“You tried to bite into the head didn’t you?” Jake said.

“I might have, wasn’t really looking,” Norm admitted.

“Yeah that part is pretty crunchy, the rest of its okay to bite into but I usually shallow the head in one go. They take a bit of time to get used to. Try a wrap instead.” Jake suggested, signalling for a plate to be brought over.

“If it's all the same, I'd rather get a ration block,” Norm said, making to get up.

“Come on, Norm. You are here now. It is not polite not to eat with the clan,” Tsu’tey said quickly pushing Norm back down. “Go with the flow, you might like it.” He offered the wrap to Norm. Reluctantly Norm took a bite.

“Actually... isn’t too bad.” he admitted, taking another bite. By the end of the meal he’d even tried another teylu.

“Told you it was how you sold it.” Jake said.

“So where am I going to store my avatar?” Norm asked as the clan broke up to retire for the night.

“I bunked in a hammock like everyone else,” Jake said. “Suppose I was already thinking of this body as my real one.”

“You mean up there?” Norm asked, looking up at the hammocks criss-crossing the central spire that people were climbing towards.

“Of course. Come, I think there are a couple of spare places,” Tsu’tey said, dragging Norm along. “As he said, you must go with the flow.” he added when he saw his reluctance.

The clan had been busy rebuilding their sleeping quarters and with donations there were two space hammocks for Tsu’tey and Norm. It had proved a great social exercise to draw the clan together after the battle. “Surely you don’t expect me to sleep in that?” Norm said when Tsu’tey showed him the hammock.

“What’s the problem?” Tsu’tey asked. “They are easy to get into,” he lowered himself into his. “Surely it's not too high for you?” They were up at the top of the sleeping level. 

“No, it's not that,” Norm said looking down and stepping back from the edge slightly. “It's more the idea of falling out.”

“I’ve never seen anyone fall out of a hammock. Besides, the ones below would break your fall.”

“If it's all the same I’d rather sleep on the ground...” Norm said, turning around to go back down.

“You surely can’t expect to sleep down here?” Tsu’tey asked as Norm rolled his bag up as a makeshift pillow. Neytiri had gotten him a mat to lay on the wood at least.

“Remember, I don’t have to. Once I log off this body will sleep through anything.” Norm pointed out. Tsu’tey had forgotten that this body wasn’t really Norm’s, but that wasn’t the point.

“This isn’t going with the flow...” Tsu’tey said.

“Look, I’m tired. I’ve been in the link all day. Can we just try it tomorrow?” Norm said in frustration, lying down on the mat.

“I will hold you to that.”

“Good night, Tsu’tey.” Norm said in final kind of way.

“We rise with the sun,” Tsu’tey warned but Norm had already drifted off to sleep, his body almost unnaturally still. Annoyed, Tsu’tey stomped back to his hammock. 

Norm was still there in the morning when Tsu’tey came to wake him. “It is morning. Wake up.” he said nudging Norm. Norm did not respond. “I said wake up!” Tsu’tey pushed harder. Norm slumped to the side, letting out a small snore.

“You’re not going to get him up that way,” a voice said behind him. He looked up to see Jake looking at him.

“I know its not his real body,” Tsu’tey said standing back a bit. “But you awoke when we did.”

“That was because I had Grace riding my ass.” Jake said, pulling a sky person device from his belt. “Yeah, it's only 7am,” he decided after looking at the device for a second. “We won’t see him for another hour at least.”

“Then he will have to make up for it.” Tsu’tey said. While it had been Norm who had come to him when he wanted to train, now that he was here things would have to change.

It was two of the sky people hours later that Norm jerked into consciousness. “Good of you to finally join us.” Tsu’tey said, putting down a branch he had been working on. His own bow had been lost, and while they had some spares, he wanted to craft a new one from their new hometree and had been attempting to get a feel of the wood.

“Sorry I’m late,” Norm said getting up to stretch. “We had a staff meeting. Man this body is hungry. You still doing breakfast?” he added.

“You will have to wait until lunch.” Tsu’tey said getting up. “The clan has already risen and breakfast served.”

“Damn,” Norm muttered, realising it would be a long time before he ate.

“I hope this won’t happen again,” Tsu’tey warned. “We have already lost valuable training time.”

“Hey, remember that I’ve got to do everything twice,” Norm pointed out.

“Then just get up earlier, and avoid these staff meetings.”

“I can’t just not go to them.. Sure I can log on for a bit earlier, but I do need to be there.” Norm explained.

“Isn’t your training more important?” Tsu’tey asked.

“Of course... but the central committee is still important. It’s how we’re running the base currently.”

“Surely you have a leader for that?”

“After Selfridge and Quaritch? No thanks, we’ve opted for a democracy. Despite Metzger’s objections.”

“Democracy?” Tsu’tey stumbled over the unfamiliar sky people word.

“Yeah, everyone coming together to decide on the big decisions.” Norm tried to explain.

“That seems very inefficient.” Tsu’tey commented. While everyone was allowed to give input on clan decisions, without a leader to take the decision no action would be taken as people kept on debating. “You just debate forever.”

“I suppose you have a point,” Norm admitted after a second of though. “But the idea is that because everyone gave input on the proposal before the vote, everyone will accept the result. Everyone is invested. Surely Eytukan asked for your advice before making a decision you disagreed with to show he had considered you position?”

“Sometimes,” Tsu’tey admitted. The idea was intriguing. He could get the basic concept but the actual execution seemed bizarre. Another strange sky people custom. “Come!” he said pushing the idea from his mind “We’ve got training to do.” 

Norm’s muscles bulged as he struggled up the vine. “You are doing well,” Tsu’tey commented easily clambering up the vine next to him. “You have already beaten your record from last time.”

“Great,” Norm hissed through gasping breaths as he tried to keep himself from slipping down to the floor below them.

“We will try and pass it again,” Tsu’tey pulled the scrap of cloth from his hand and passed it down to hold it to his feet. “Take it with your feet,” he said, raising his feet up to offer the cloth to Norm.

“Oh, come on...” Norm muttered, his strength starting to wane.

“Try!”

His abs streaming, Norm lifting his legs up to grasp at the cloth with his feet. At least he had been persuaded to take the shoes off during their exercises, even if he still insisted on weird covering. The first attempt he failed to get high enough. Tsu’tey subtly lowered the cloth a bit, not enough to actually make it much looser but to make Norm feel like it was. With one final exertion Norm swung up and grasped the cloth from Tsu’tey. 

Norm beamed with triumph. Tsu’tey was releasing the cloth when Norm slipped on the vine. Fumbling to keep his grip, the cloth fell to the floor. “Fuck it. I almost had it!” Norm swore. 

“No matter,” Tsu’tey said, climbing down. “You actually touched the cloth this time.”

“God my core hurts,” Norm said as he descendent as well. “I don’t understand why you’re making me do this. Jake never talked about it.”

“Neytiri concentrated on the core aspects of being a warrior. She left a lot of subtle things out. Plus she needed extra time to get Jake to speak right.”

“Yeah, he still hasn’t got the accent right. So this is one of these things Neytiri skipped.” Norm commented.

“Yes. It represents an old rite of passage in the clan many generations ago. A person that had not managed to pass it was considered only a child,” Tsu’tey explained.

“Wait, so you’re saying you still consider me a child?” Norm said, pausing from lacing up his shoes.

“I never said that,” Tsu’tey deflected the suggestion. He didn’t think of Norm as a child, though not an adult either. “Ninat should be free when we get back.” he said as they walked back to hometree.

“Good. She’s teaching me how you lot make those wraps,” Norm said.

“I don’t see why you insist on learning about that stuff,” Tsu’tey complained.

“Look, I just want to learn as much as possible” Norm explained. “You said yourself Jake didn’t learn about the small details. You can learn so much from that.”

“As long as you stay focused on training to be a hunter,” Tsu’tey said. In reality he didn’t really mind. He made sure to have a difficult task that Norm had to overcome before he let him go train with her. Norm always seemed to push himself further to complete it. Jake’s carrot and stick method did actually seem to work. 

Ninat was waiting for them as they reached hometree. “How did it go?” she asked as they approached. 

“He did well. He actually able to grasp it this time. Soon we will be able to pass it,” Tsu’tey explained.

“Good, lets hope our own lesson goes as well,” she said, smiling. “Come this way Norm.” she waved to Norm to follow her to the food preparation area. Smiling, Norm followed her. Tsu’tey watched them go. Ninat was unmated and the best singer in the clan, so she was the constant focus of admirers hoping to be her mate. She always turned them down eventually, but it was clear she enjoyed Norm’s company. Probably because it kept the suitors away and because Norm was one of the few males around that wouldn’t even think of mating with her, even if he could see her beauty. Even Tsu’tey could see it, despite her beauty driving some of the younger males wild she had never appealed to him in quite the same way Sylwanin or Neytiri had. 

Still, Ninat was actually proving a good teacher on many of the finer points of Na’vi life that Tsu’tey struggled to impart. Plus, it gave him time to work on his new bow. He walked over to the workspace he had set up. The bow itself was barely even started on. He had been concentrating his effort on remaking the tools he would need. Still, he would have several productive hours of work in before dinner. 

A shadow appeared above him as he worked. “I am surprised to see you,” he said not needing to look up to know who it was. “I thought you were avoiding me.”

“I have not been avoiding you,” Saeyla replied.

“You did not greet me when I returned.” Tsu’tey said, looking up.

“I was on a hunting trip and did not know of your return,” Saeyla said looking away. “And... I expected you to seek me out.”

“I have been busy.” Tsu’tey said. In truth he had not wanted to talk to her about her proposal to mate. Even during their preparations for battle they had avoided any conservation beyond what was strictly necessary. 

“Yes, you are busy training the new dream walker Norm,” she noted dryly.

“You do not approve of him?” Tsu’tey asked, subtly probing which side of things Saeyla was on. 

“I think he is cute but harmless,” she said. “Certainly not mate material.”

“Mate material?!” Tsu’tey said, shocked at the very idea of Norm having a mate.

“Well, he will become one of the people,” Saeyla pointed out.

“I would not be too sure about that given how slow he was learning...” Tsu’tey countered, still reeling from the suggestion.

“But he mostly like will, eventually. Just look at what we said about Jake,” she pointed out. “He will need a mate at some point. As do you.”

“Me?” Tsu’tey was again shocked by the suggestion.

“You are no longer betrothed to Neytiri,” she pointed out. “There is quite a race brewing to claim you.”

“I thought you’d be over my rejection.” Tsu’tey replied. He avoiding the face that Neytiri had been taken from him. He’d been betrothed for so long he had never thought of other women as potential mates.

“I realise my proposal was rushed and unwise,” Saeyla admitted. “But my heart is still there if you want it.”

“It is not proper for a teacher to fall in love with his student.” Tsu’tey said, his eyes shifting away. 

“And yet Neytiri let her heart go where she wanted.” she pointed out, walking away angrily. Tsu’tey returned to his work, annoyed by the conversation. Saeyla had been a good student and proved herself in battle, but she had no status in the clan. Certainly not a worthy mate to the leader of the hunters. Then again, as he worked through this list of possibilities, who really was? 

As the sun was setting Norm and Ninat climbed up from below. “How did it go?” Tsu’tey asked coming to meet them.

“It went well. Though Norm did insist on diverging from the recipe.” she noted.

“I just suggested a different way of making them. Experiment a little!” Norm protested.

“How did you ‘experiment a little’?” Tsu’tey asked. The wrap recipe of the Omaticaya has been passed down for generations. Any deviation due to environmental shifts were hotly debated.

“You can try one if you like?” Norm thrust a box of them towards him. “I got inspired by burritos from back home and mixed in some whole teylu.” Tsu’tey took a cautious bite. It wasn’t half bad actually, the crunch of the teylu contrasting with the smooth paste of the wrap.

“Interesting,” he said after a moment. “What did you say it was called?” he continued eating.

“A burrito, but it isn’t really.” Norm said.

“I think you should make more of these,” Tsu’tey said.

“Thanks,” Norm muttered. “You did say I should try something new so why shouldn’t you lot.”

“Though we should wait until the rest of the clan gets to try them,” Ninat pointed out. Ultimately the burritos were well received, even though there was only a handful of them. 

“So do you think you are ready to take up my suggestion?” Tsu’tey asked Norm as the meal became more relaxed, and people broke off into smaller social groups.

“Which one is that?” Norm said.

“You know what I mean. Getting out of those sky people clothes and into a loincloth.” Tsu’tey said.

“You really want me to do it...” Norm said sighing in exasperation.

“Well, yes.” Tsu’tey admitted. “You might be learning, but until you start living like us you will never truly understand.” Plus it would please him that Norm was heeding his advice.

“Fine... you’ve talked me into it.” Norm said standing up “Give me a loincloth.”

“You are serious?” Tsu’tey asked shocked that Norm had given in so suddenly. 

“Just to try it on,” Norm warned. “And only so to stop your nagging.”

“Then come this way,” Tsu’tey said, smiling in his victory.

They made their way to one of the smaller chambers that had became the clan’s main storeroom. It took Tsu’tey quite a while of searching the piled up baskets and bags until he found a bundle of clothes at the far end of the chamber. The clan had received many donations such as replacement clothes when the clans had gathered at the tree of souls. “Here, put this on. You can change here.” he said offering the item to Norm.

“Don’t you have a curtain or anything?” Norm asked looking around.

“Don’t worry. No one else will be coming in here at this time,” Tsu’tey pointed out.

“I meant more some kind of privacy...” Norm explained.

“Afraid not. If you are so concerned about it, change before someone does come.” Tsu’tey said.

With reluctance Norm started removing his top and trousers. “I don’t know why you don’t just wear that,” Tsu’tey commented looking at Norm’s underwear. Under all those clothes he had a half-decent body. 

“It's a cultural convention,” Norm said, suddenly pausing in embarrassment. “Now could you turn around?”

“You are sure you wouldn’t like some help fitting it?” Tsu’tey asked, turning to face the wall. Sky people seemed so ashamed of their bodies.

“No. I can manage.” Norm said quickly. 

Tsu’tey waited for several seconds as rustling sounds came from behind him, along with several muttered curses. He resisted the urge to sneak a peek. “Dammit, how do you tighten this thing?” Norm asked after a moment of silence. Taking this as an invitation Tsu’tey looked around. 

Norm clutched the loincloth tight to his body in shock. “I told you not to look!” he protested.

“Sorry,” Tsu’tey said. “But I can’t solve your problem without being able to see it.”

“Fine!” Norm said loosening his grip on the loincloth while still preventing it from slipping. Tsu’tey walked around Norm examining him. He had to say it, Norm looking good in a loincloth. His hair was still too sky people but just for a moment, you could see him as a hunter.

“I see the issue. You haven’t adjusted the hook over your tail,” Tsu’tey said bending down to pull the loop around the band tight, pushing Norm’s tail around to get a proper grip. Norm instantly froze. “Did I do something wrong?” Tsu’tey asked, pausing in his work.

“...No,” Norm said quickly, holding his body unusually still.

“Sorry,” Tsu’tey said stepping back, knowing that he had crossed a boundary.

“It’s nothing,” Norm said, brushing off the incident but keeping his front away from Tsu’tey. “Thanks for doing this.” he added.

“No problem.” Tsu’tey said, just pleased to have Norm out of his sky people clothes.

They were exiting the storage chamber when they bumped into Saeyla exiting from another chamber. Saeyla paused for a moment as she saw Norm in the loincloth. Her eyes flashed up to look at Tsu’tey for a second. “Looking good, Norm.” she said in a sensual way as she kept moving. It was a deliberate tease, more aimed at Tsu’tey than Norm but he clearly picked up on it as well. 

“I can’t do this...” Norm said, looking after Saeyla.

“Ignore her. She’s just teasing you,” Tsu’tey protested.

“No. This is too much.” Norm said turning around. “I was too quick in trying out this loincloth...” he stammered, returning to the storage area to pick up his pants.

“For Eywa’s sake! You are a skxawng sometimes.” Tsu’tey said in anger, snatching the trousers up as Norm was pulling on his underwear. He pulled out his knife and began slashing at them.

“What are you doing!” Norm said shocked, pulling the garment back from him. “You’ve wrecked it!” he said, feeling the at the gashes Tsu’tey had made.

“If you insist on wearing these clothes you might as well cut it as short as possible!” Tsu’tey explained. Its might not be a loincloth but it was closer to some of the clothes that some clans wore. 

“Well, they’re already ruined so you might as well finish the job. Just leave the pockets intact...” Norm said, angry but accepted the inevitable. He handed the trousers over.

Tsu’tey made short work of them, making sure to not rip the pockets that Norm thought were so precious. Still, he did see the advantages of the extra storage. “Here, try them on.” he handed the finished product to Norm. Norm pulled them on reluctantly, his underwear was just visible at the bottom of the trousers. “Do you need to wear those?” Tsu’tey asked as Norm made to put on his top. 

“I suppose not,” Norm admitted. “But no cutting them up.”

“As long as you don’t wear them.” Tsu’tey said smiling. Despite his back tracking it was clear that Norm was getting used to the idea.

“But I’m keeping the boots. These things are in short supply,” Norm warned as he laced up his shoes. 

“If you insist,” Tsu’tey said. Two steps forward, one step back. “Now let us get back to the rest of the clan.” 

A mutter went though the clan as they returned to the central firepit. Tsu’tey could see a lot of heads turning to look at Norm. Though for the most part their reaction was hard to read. Tyso gestured at Norm as they passed, cracking a joke to his group if their reaction was anything to go by. Jake almost did a double take when he saw them. “Norm! Look at you. What’s with the short shorts?” he asked.

“Blame Tsu’tey,” Norm replied, helping himself to more food.

“He didn’t take to wearing a loincloth, so I tried to make his clothing more practical.” Tsu’tey explained. 

“You’re sure you wouldn’t take the loincloth?” Jake joked.

“Call it an intermediate step,” Norm replied, putting a surprisingly positive spin on it despite being forced into the situation.

“Now, why didn’t I try that when I first arrived,” Jake said jokily.

“I destroyed them so you could not.” Neytiri said.

“Well, there you have it. You got the easy treatment,” Jake said.

“Didn’t quite feel that way at the time.” Norm replied, flashing a look of annoyance at Tsu’tey. 

“If it is any consolation. You looked good,” Tsu’tey said trying to put a positive spin on things. Norm visibly  _ w _ inced as he sat down. “What?” Tsu’tey asked in confusion.

“Nothing,” Norm said, while Jake hid a grin. 


	3. Chapter 3

“How the hell did you convince them to let us do this?” Metzger turned to ask Tsu’tey as two of their flying machines flew through the hallelujah mountains.

“It was simply how you framed the argument,” he replied, squeezed once more into the rear of the craft. It hadn’t been that simple, of course. Jake had already made the request that the sky people return to the land near the tree of souls to collect their dead on their own. An unacceptable request rightly rejected by Mo’at. Tsu’tey had spun it as both the sky people and Na’vi warriors coming together to given the fallen a proper burial. He had pointed out that joined burials were a common way of healing relationships between clans after conflict. It just so happened that most of them would be sky people. Mo’at saw through the suggestion at once and how it was basically the same thing. However while she had reservations about letting sky people return, both for Eywa and the clan, she did see enough justice in it to give her consent.

“How can you stand being in this abomination?” a voice asked him. Tsu’tey looked over to see Atan, knife unsheathed on the other side of the cabin. Of course Mo’at’s support had come with several conditions, including that they bring several of the Na’vi from Tyso’s faction to show good faith. Tsu’tey disliked this, it was a conflict waiting to happen, though he did see the logic of it. If some of them saw the sky people no longer as enemies it might reduce the resistance to Jake’s leadership.

“It is not so bad once you get used to it,” he replied to Atan.

“How can you talk like that? These things killed so many of us!” Atan said shocked. “Perhaps you have been with these sky people too long...”

“Hey! I do not like being in this thing myself!” Tsu’tey said. “But until I can perform Iknimaya and bond with a new Ikran, options are limited. Besides, it is about working with the sky people.”

“You could perform Iknimaya at any time,” Atan pointed out. “This is about when Norm is ready for it.” He pointed to the shape of the avatar in the craft next to them.

“Skxawng!” Tsu’tey fired back. It just made sense that he should wait until Norm was ready. It was always safer to perform Iknimaya as part of a group. 

“Well if it’s any reassurance this craft didn’t destroy your hometree,” Metzger cut in before the two started fighting. “The Dragon and Scorpions were the real heavy hitters.”

“I still saw them fire on the tree. Were you there?” Atan asked. “I still have the scars to prove it.”

“I was watching the live tactical feeds,” Metzger replied.

“And what did you feel?” Atan asked accusingly. 

“Like watching 25 years of work going up in smoke,” Metzger explained. “I argued against trying to move you in the first place but I was ignored.”

Suddenly the craft banked hard. “We’ve got multiple banshees on approach,” the pilot warned. Tsu’tey leaned out of the hatch to see eight of them flying towards them from the nearby mountains. 

“That would be our escort.” he said as they took up positions around the craft.

“I take it they aren’t just here to welcome us?” Metzger said, noting the rider’s drawn bows. “Don’t do anything to trigger them. Remember, we are only here at their discretion.” he added over the radio when one of the men in the other craft began training one of the door mounted guns at the riders. 

“Correct,” Tsu’tey said. Mo’at hadn’t been the only people he’d had had to convince.

“Thought so. Could always recognise a show of force when I see one.” 

They were escorted to a large piece of open ground near the battle site, the same that RDA had deployed their ground forces, where a group of armed Na’vi were waiting. There had always been many travelling shamans that journeyed to tree of souls, some staying there their entire lives. They had been the first to offer the Omaticaya assistance when the sort sanctuary there. However, after the battle many warriors had pledged themselves to protecting the tree of souls from attack in the future, founding the protector. It had really been these that Mo’at had had to convince to let the sky people come. 

Their leader waited for them to approach, as Tsu’tey stepped out of the flying machine. “Welcome. I am Neymora, shaman of the floating mountains.” The elderly female said, flanked by two armed warriors.

“I see you, Neymora. I am Tsu’tey of the Omitcaya,” Tsu’tey replied, giving a formal greeting. “This is Atan, one of our hunters,” He said as Atan greeted her. “Along with Norm Spellman, my student.” As Norm came across from the other flying machine.

“May the great mother smile upon our first meeting.” He said, giving the correct sign of respect this time.

“A dream walker, my first time meeting one of you.” Neymora remarked in surprise. “Do you think it inappropriate to teach another our ways given what destruction was brought upon us?” She asked sharply, her eyes hardening. Norm faltered, once more encountering a na’vi not enamoured to his presence.

“Jake Sully was also dream walker, became Toruk Makto and lead us to victory,” Tsu’tey pointed out. “Norm has proved where his heart lies.” 

“You are right.” Neymora smiled suddenly, taking Tsu’tey by surprise. “Ewya has smiled on Jake Sully. Perhaps we should reconsider our attitudes towards your kind. May you become one of the people, Norm.”

“Thank you, I guess.” Norm said, smiling at the compliment.

“Although I have reservations about letting sky people return so close to the great mother,” Neymora said. There was a slight hiss from the two warriors behind Her. Tsu’tey looked behind him to see Metzger approaching as the rest of the sky people unloaded their equipment. “Why you must travel here in their flying machines as well is beyond me...” Neymora continued.

“I no longer have an ikran to ride. I considered it more convenient than bringing more people than necessary.” Tsu’tey explained.

“More than necessary. I fear we will need as many as possible to keep these sky people under control. They are like children.” Neymora said. Both Norm and Metzger shared a look but she didn’t pick up on it.

“I thought you agreed to this?” Tsu’tey pointed out.

“I did. I was just making my concerns plain.” Neymora defended her position.

“You do realise I can understand every word you say?” Metzger pointed out in Na’vi. Neymora looked at the man in surprise. 

“They speak our language...” She muttered.

“We’re not all savages,” Metzger said, smiling beneath his mask like nothing had happened.

“Apologies.” Neymora recovered herself. “Do all of your kind speak the people’s language?”

“A few,” Metzger replied. “Though the rest of the team don’t know much beyond stop and go away. But it should still be enough to work together.”

“Straight to business,” Neymora noted. “I was told you want to reclaim your dead. What would that involve? I am somewhat unfamiliar with your burial habits. I understand you cut up your dead. Why?” Both Metzger and Norm looked confused.

“Ah I think you mean the autopsies we used to do,” Metzger said realising what Neymora meant. “No, we just bury or cremate our dead. We burn the bodies.” He added as she struggled to understand the concept from cremation.

“To destroy your final gift to the world seems illogical.”

“The religious say it releases the spirit to the afterlife. For the company it simply cuts down on shipping costs.”

“How do you intend to search for your dead?” Atan asked, bringing the conversation back to the point of hand. “The nantang feasted well after the battle.” 

“That’s what I expected,” Metzger admitted. “We’ll check likely locations first then spread out and do a sweep of the battlefield. A lot of ground to cover. Might be better to split up.”

“It might be an idea to locate the local nantang dens. They like to take smaller prey back to them. No offence,” Tsu’tey suggested.

“None taken, but I doubt we are properly equipped for that. Though it’s more diplomatic to leave our heavy weapons behind.” He looked up at Neymora.

“Our warriors will support you. But you will not be allowed near the Tree of Souls. They will ensure that.” She noted.

“I wouldn’t dream of it,” Metzger reassured. “Though I would like to see what so many died for someday.”

“It is forbidden to outsiders.” Neymora warned.

“Perhaps one day we will no longer be outsiders,” Metzger said.

“Perhaps,” Neymora said. “These are strange days.”

“Every day on this planet is a new experience.” Metzger said jokingly.

With that the group started breaking up with Neymora returning to her warriors to give commands. “She does realise that I’m a sky person too?” Norm asked Tsu’tey while Metzger did the same.

“We see you differently,” Tsu’tey said. “While we don’t see one of us, it is hard to think of you as a sky person. And you did fight for us.”

“Even when you’ve seen me in the flesh?”

“The effect is lessened.” Tsu’tey admitted.

“Shows the program worked...” Norm muttered as Metzger approached.

“Okay, enough chatting, we've got work to do. First site isn’t too far from here.” he said, as the two groups starting moving into the treeline.

“May I asked how we are supposed to find anything in the jungle? The battlefield alone is massive.” Norm pointed out.

“No need,” Metzger explained, holding up a tablet computer. “Got the full tactical net recording of the battle. Well, what we received, along with photo reconnaissance data of the aftermath.”

“You were planning this from day one, weren’t you?” Norm asked.

“There wasn’t much else to do while you confined to barracks,” Metzger said. “Now we should be nearly at our first point.”

The undergrowth suddenly thinned out to reveal an open patch of ground where several crates of supplies, now crushed and spread around the site had been stacked. “What was this place?” Norm asked, lifting the remains of a folding bed from the ground.

“Casualty clearing station,” Metzger replied dryly.

“You mean this a field hospital?” Norm said stopped.

“You’re surprised? Not every causality we were going to take would be a fatality. Apart from the ones with 6 foot arrows in them of course.” Metzger said, looking through one of the boxes which contained trauma kits.

“You are saying this place was full of healers?” Tsu’tey asked, recognising some of the sky people words.

“Yeah, mix of medical staff and volunteers from other departments,” Metzger explained. “Okay, spread out and start searching the area.” he ordered the team.

“Were they armed?” Norm asked.

“Outside of the wire? Of course,” Metzger said.

“Did any survive?” Tsu’tey asked, already knowing the answer. Healers, especially armed would have just seemed like any other sky person in the lust of battle.

“From here? None.” Metzger replied. “The Sampson assigned to evacuate the position was lost. There was a smattering of audio about an animal attack but nothing confirmed.” 

Norm looked at the claw marks on one of the crates when they found their first body. “Over here!” Atan said, after several broken branches lead him to a tree a little bit away. Tsu’tey and Norm ran over to see Atan pointing to a crumbled object. Artificial sky people materials. As everyone gathered around, Atan reached in a pulled at the object lifting up a sky person’s head.

The corpse was decayed and starting to rot. The body was bloated and deformed. While the nantang had not gotten at it, small predators had gotten to one of its arms. The skin had gone a pale, bluish complexion with red welts where the outer layers had been eaten away. “God, what is wrong with his skin?” Norm asked as the men dragged the body out of the tree. 

“Acid in the air.” Metzger replied. “It eats into everything.”

“So how did he die? I see no obvious wound,” Tsu’tey asked.

“Pretty ob _ v _ ious. He suffocated.” Metzger said pointing to the shattered exo-pack the man had over his face. “Must have have broken it during the attack and was on oxygen while he hid. Then after his 15 minutes were up, he chose the quicker way out.” A quick search pulled up two empty oxygen tubes where the body had been. 

“So who was he?” Norm asked. Metzger unhooked the bod _ y _ ’s dogtag from its neck and ran it through a scanner.

“Leonardo Green, designated first responder for geology and survey team. Volunteered as a medical orderly. Not on the survival list.” he read off the results. “Did you ever meet him?”

“I never really got a chance to meet the rest of the science teams.” Norm admitted.

“Pity. Never met him myself either.” Metzger said, as Green’s body was put into one of the bags the sky people had brought with them.

“Why do you put him in a bag?” Tsu’tey asked.

“Easier to handle. Do you really want to manhandle him directly when they get to that state?” Metzger explained.

“I suppose it does have advantages,” Tsu’tey admitted. 

They split into smaller groups after that point to continue their grizzly work. Their objectives of crashed flying machines and trampled war machines produced a steady load of bodies, or parts of bodies. Once they had bagged up the body they had to haul them back to the landing zone pretty much one at a time. “God, this is depressing work.” Norm commented as they were hauling back the remains of a pilot of one of their walking shields.

“At least we’ve got your strength,” A female sky person called Glenna commented.

“I am not here as a beast of burden,” Tsu’tey warned. “But this is foul work.”

“I suppose its could have been worse.” Glenna said.

“How could it be even worse?” Norm asked.

“You’ve ever seen the result of a cluster bombs?” She replied.

“At least you can’t smell anything in those exo-masks.” Norm replied. 

The crackle of gunfire suddenly filled the air. “Command, I hear gunfire! What's going on?!” The woman said into her radio. Tsu’tey looked at the sky people around them. Had this all been a trick to attack the Tree of Souls? He felt ashamed of the thought the moment it crossed his mind. The idea was ridiculous.

“Situation under control,” Metzger responded after a moment. “One of the teams stumbled into a viperwolf nest. Damned carelessness.”

“Anyone injured?” Norm asked.

“None, thankfully, but we’ve pissed off Atan. Now he wants to pray for forgiveness.” Metzger replied.

“Just something you have to get used to.” Norm replied, looking over to Tsu’tey.

“Yeah I know. Out.” Metzger replied breaking the connection.

“He does not see,” Tsu’tey commented.

“Yeah, well it’s difficult for people to come around to your way of thinking,” Norm said, defending Metzger. “I thought I couldn’t see either?”

“You are at least learning.” Tsu’tey admitted. Still, it was disquieting how he had instantly thought the sky people had betrayed them.

Their next location was some distance away from the battlefield. “Surely we’re not going where I think we’re going?” Norm said, recognising the area.

“Where?” Tsu’tey asked. “Oh.” he added when he saw the crumbled remains of the metal cabin.

“How did you know where this place was?” Norm asked.

“Please, we’d spotted the cabin on photo reconnaissance before the attack,” Glenna explained.

“Then why didn’t you bomb it?”

“Quaritch wanted Jake alive. He never said anything but people could tell he was obsessed with beating him. That’s his AMP suit over there?” Glenna pointed to the slumped over machine in the clearing.

“Yeah...” Norm said, stepping forward.

“Hold it!” Glenna grabbed his leg, pointing to a shape at the edge of the tree line. “Thanator.”

“Do not fear. The palulukan is dead.” Tsu’tey said. From his greater height he could see where predators had torn open the carcase.

“Just checking...” Glenna said, gingerly stepping forward keeping her weapon pointed in its direction, just in case. “Must have been some fight,” she commented looking around at the shattered cabin and broken canon.

“I understand it was,” Norm said.

“Not here for it?”

“No, my avatar had been wounded and I was somewhere over there trying to get into the fight.” Norm explained, pointing the way they had come.

“Did you join the fight in your real body?” Tsu’tey asked.

“No, I met up with a bunch of hunters and spent the rest of the battle trying to convince them I was on their side. Then I was struggling to keep my avatar and you alive.” Norm explained.

“I suppose I am in your debt,” Tsu’tey said. 

Glenna stood over the AMP suit and looked into the cockpit, which had two arrows poking out of it. “God, what the fuck is growing on his head?!” she said. Tsu’tey and Norm looked in. The corpse was remarkably well preserved. Quaritch’s pained death face frozen forever behind the exo pack. However one side of his head was covered by a purple jelly-like fungus.

“I’ve never seen anything like it. You know anything about it?” Norm admitted asking Tsu’tey. 

“I’ve seen sometimes like this in caves,” Tsu’tey said after a moment. “They attach to a victim and slowly consume them.” 

“Fascinating. Would love to get it back to the lab,” Norm said.

“Well, I’m not touching that thing without a hazmat suit.” Glenna said, stepping back.

“Thankfully they are slow to react,” Tsu’tey said, starting to peel the creature off the body. “So who was this guy?” he added. He must have been a determined warrior to go so far to attempt to kill Jake.

“Quaritch was in command of sec-ops. He was the one that ordered hometree to be destroyed,” Norm explained.

“Bastard,” Tsu’tey spat, recoiling from the corpse. So this was the sky person, the monster that destroyed hometree, killed Eytukan and nearly destroyed the Tree of Souls.

“What did he say?” Glenna asked.

“Bastard. I think.” Norm translated.

“Oh, plenty of people called him that over the years. Never to his face of course,” she commented. It was funny really, Tsu’tey knew he should be feeling anger, even hate towards the being that had brought so much death and destruction to his life but instead all he could bring to bear was disdain. Quaritch seemed so small as to be unworthy of consideration.

“At least Jake killed him.” He said getting up from the corpse.

“Actually, I think it was Neytiri that killed him,” Norm said, tugging at the arrows embedded in Quaritch’s chest. “Hey, can you lend a hand?” 

“Why are we bothering with him? If there is anyone here that deserves to rot out here it is him.” Tsu’tey said, rejecting the request.

“Come on. He might be a bastard but he at least deserves some kind of burial,” Glenna noted.

“Fine...” Tsu’tey relented. He at least took some pleasure in pulling the arrows out crudely, feeling the flesh tear as the point was extracted. 

Norm’s radio squawked. “Norm here!” he replied as Tsu’tey was trying to remove Quaritch’s body from the machine. Sky people restraints were so complicated.

“Norm, you better get over here,” Metzger said though the device.

“What have you found?” Norm asked as Glenna reached under Tsu’tey’s hand and released the clip holding the body in.

“We’ve just found Sampson 16.” Was Metzger’s response.

“You’re sure it's hers?” was the first thing Norm said after they had raced to Metzger’s location. Tsu’tey looked over the scene, Metzger and the rest of his sky people were standing around a crashed flying machine while Atan stood some distance off in disdain. There wasn’t much of the machine left. It had crashed through the canopy, becoming entangled in vines and landed upside down, bringing a tree with it. Most of the rear was gone, along with one of its rotors. The surrounding ground was blackened with the signs of burning.

“Only Sampson to be shot down by gunfire,” Metzger said pointing to the exit holes along the edge of the craft. “And no one painted their craft up like that.” he added, pointing to where the remains of while and blue stripes could be seen.

“It is the markings we painted on her flying machine.” Tsu’tey confirmed.

“What about her?” Norm continued.

“We haven’t been able to see into the cockpit. The central cabin looks to be in pretty good condition despite the fire but the starboard rotor is blocking the way and we don’t have cutting tools. I tried asking Atan for help, but he’s sulking.” Metzger explained, pointing to the crumbled propeller housing before shooting a dark look at Atan.

“Fine, we’ll shift it,” Norm said looking at Tsu’tey.

“Good, but you do realise there is no way she survived?” Metzger warned Norm.

“I’ve got to know.” Norm muttered as him and Tsu’tey approached the rotor.

Norm pushed at rotor housing but while the drive shaft from the engine was nearly sheared off it was still hanging on in there. “Perhaps together we can show off the strength you have built up,” Tsu’tey suggested. With an almighty tug they were able to pull the rotor back just enough for them to get inside. Norm darted into the gap before anyone else could get in.

“Oh God...” he said stumbling back out after a second. Metzger, followed by Tsu’tey squeezed into the confined space. Inside the cockpit a sky person burned beyond recognition by the fire that had swept though the space was hanging upside down still strapped into its chair.

“Hopefully the shock wave of the missile strike killed her before the flames did.” Metzger commented as they exited the craft. “Burning is a horrible way to go.” 

“I think I’m going to be sick...” Norm said walking a bit away from the crash suit. 

“Alright, cut her down.” Metzger said to the men entering the craft.

“You did not react to the other bodies like this?” Tsu’tey pointed out.

“I know, the others were bad enough. But this was personal. I knew Trudy...” Norm explained as the sky people started exiting the craft.

“How is it?” Metzger asked one of them.

“Not good. She’s fused with the chair and the flight harness has melted shut so it's easier to remove the chair itself.” the man said as the rest of the men appeared, carrying Trudy’s flight chair out of the craft.

As they manhandled it the chair collided into the rotor assembly. “Shit!” one of the sky people said as the fragile object held together by twisted metal disintegrated. Trudy’s corpse hit the ground hard with an audible crunch as some of her body shattered. Norm took one look and violently threw up. He staggered backwards for a second and then collapsed.

“What happened?” Tsu’tey asked, rushing to break Norm’s fall. His unconscious body writhed, still trying to throw up.

“Must have thrown up in real life and the safeties kicked in,” Metzger explained coming over as his men struggled to tidy Trudy’s remains away. “Now turn him over before he chokes.”

They got Norm’s Avatar to stop throwing up and breathing normally and waited for Norm to relink. It was weird to be reminded the body in front of Tsu’tey wasn’t Norm’s real body. He had started forgetting there was a sky person behind that face.

Norm’s avatar jerked back to life. “I loved her,” he said, letting out a sudden sob as if he had been crying for a while. “I loved her and I never had the guts to say it to her. Even to myself.” he stood up, tears beginning to form around his eyes. “And now she’s dead. God! Why am I always too late for things!” He kicked a fallen branch in anger.

“You blame yourself for not being able to save her,” Tsu’tey said, trying to comfort Norm.

“Yeah, I suppose I do,” Norm admitted, beginning to calm down.

“You were wounded. We were losing. What could you have done?” Tsu’tey continued.

“Something...” Norm muttered in annoyance. 

“You have done something. We have recovered her body. You sky people seem to dwell too much on what was done. One of the first teachings of Eywa is that there is no true death, only change. Your Trudy will live on within her.” Tsu’tey said, trying to give Norm some hope. The destruction of hometree had shown him how important hope could be.

“I don’t think she’s going to be with Eywa.”

“Why not?” Tsu’tey pointed out. “Dr Augustine is with Eywa. Why not Trudy, who fought to protect her?” Norm took a long look at the body bag that Trudy was now in. Metzger and the men awkwardly waiting.

“I just don’t think Eywa is going to get anything about that.” Norm said cynically. 

“Don’t worry,” Metzger said sitting forward. “The first loss is always the hardest.”

“So what are we going to be with all these bodies?” Tsu’tey asked as they were carrying Trudy’s body back to the landing site. Norm had insisted that he carry a corner even if it just caused problems for the rest of them.

“I’m not sure,” Metzger admitted, walking next to him. “We weren’t expecting to find so many bodies on the first run. That viperwolf nest had quite a few body parts in it. We could just overload the Sampson’s on the return flight but it might just be best to burn them here. Assuming Neymora will let us.”

“Burn them?” Tsu’tey asked confused. Why would they go to so much trouble to recover their dead to simply destroy them? 

“Cremation,” Metzger tried to explain, clearly stumbling over a lack of Na’vi words to express his idea. “It's what we do. We stopped burying our dead years ago. Not enough unpolluted land.” he ultimately settled upon. 

They finally reached the landing field where Neymora was observing the large pile of body bags they had collected. Tsu’tey hadn’t taken in how many they had recovered until now. “What do you intend to do with them all?” She asked, seeing their approach. 

“I was going to ask you about that,” Metzger admitted looking up at her. “I request that we are allowed to bury our dead here, at least for the time being. We have too many for our current transport and we lack the fuel to cremate them here, you see.”

“It seems strange to go to so much trouble to recover your dead only to bury them,” She pointed out. 

“Its was more about giving them a proper burial. I don’t think any of them would have wanted to be buried on Pandora but shipment back to earth is out. So will you accept?” Neymora sucked air into her throat.

“Some would complain,” she glanced over at Atan. “But I suppose given what I have already allowed I must grant your request.” 

“A personal request,” Tsu’tey said stepping forward taking a quick look at Norm. “The sky person woman Trudy. She fought with us.” he gestured at the body bag at their feet.

“Yes, I remember the sky person female,” Neymora said.

“She fought to save Eywa as one of the people, surely she deserves to be buried as such.” Tsu’tey continued, practically saying that Trudy had been one of the people.

“Tsu’tey, there is no need for that...” Norm said.

“We’ve got any problem with that?” Metzger asked.

“She didn’t register any religious denomination on her file. I suppose it would be acceptable.” one of the sky people said, consulting a computer.

“I cannot accept this,” Neymora started to say but stopped.

Tsu’tey turned around. A single atokirina floated down through the air. As everyone watched it touched down on Trudy’s body bag. “Eywa has clearly spoken. Your request will be granted.” Neymora said, recognising the sign. The atokirina, Eywa’s message imparted floating towards Metzger, who swatted it away, annoyed. Neymora hissed in reproach at this.

“Sorry,” Metzger said, stopping. “Just these woodsprite used to cluster around us all the time in the early days. They still beeline for me whenever I’m outside the wire for some reason.”

“Clearly Eywa wanted and still wants to understand you,” Neymora commented. Tsu’tey felt she couldn’t believe that Metzger was somehow blessed by Eywa. 

“Alright people, break out the entrenching tools,” Metzger said.

“Entrenching tools?” Tsu’tey asked as the men unhooked flat objects from their waists.

“You do have shovels don’t you?” Metzger asked, unfolding the tool, stabbing it into the ground, and lifting up a clump of dirt. 

They lowered Trudy into the freshly dug grave between two tree branches. To Tsu’tey it seemed far too small, but it took the bag easily and Metzger’s team had found the root filled ground difficult to work with. Neymora had complained about the body bag but had been told it was biodegradable and would quickly break down. She released the atokirina letting it float onto the body bag. “We are all seeds of the Great Tree” she began the funeral song. The sky people bowed their heads. “Whose strength is in our legs like the mighty trunks,” she continued, Tsu’tey and even Atan joining in. Funerals were always a sombre affair but this one especially. There were no grave goods or acts of remembrance. Even he barely knew Trudy. He felt so cut off from the event. 

“In our arms as sheltering branches, in our eyes the blue-flower which unfolds to the sun...” they continued, Norm even following along. Slightly off key but for someone who had never heard the song, a worthy attempt. “We are all seeds of the Great Tree, whose song is within us.” they finished. 

With the ceremony finished the sky people began shovelling the dirt back into the grave. “That was very nice,” Norm said lending a hand. “I suppose I should be recording it but now isn’t the time.”

“No problem. But you need to say what you feel next time. Also, you sing quite well.” Tsu’tey said. 

“Thanks, I suppose.” Norm said. 

They walked to the short distance to the next grave. It was larger than Trudy’s and had taken the most time. They had had to dig it out in the open away from the treeline to avoid the roots that had made hers so time consuming. “I do appreciate you doing that for her,” Norm whispered as they lined up around the grave.

“It was the right thing to do.” Tsu’tey replied as one of the sky people stepped forward. He was dressed differently to the others, under his brightly coloured armour wasn’t the camouflaged tones of the soldiers but instead the weird clothes he’d seen sky person Norm and the other scientists wear.

With a simple cough the man spoke. “For as much as it has pleased Almighty God to take out of this world the souls of those before us, we therefore commit their bodies to the ground.” he said. The man must be a priest Tsu’tey concluded as he listened. Grace had explained the concept of God as being the sky person version of Eywa, And there he was thinking the sky people had no God beyond profit. “Earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust,” the priest continued shrinking some dirt from the pile behind them onto the bodies. So they do have some connection to their great mother. “When the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God, and the dead in Christ shall rise first.” Who was this Christ? Some champion of their god? “Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so shall we ever be with the Lord, wherefore comfort ye one another with these words. Amen.” Strange, why would sky people think their great mother existed in the sky? Perhaps their world orbited around another Naranawm. 

_ _ “Amen!” the sky people said in unison. Tsu’tey was expecting it to be over but then the sky person priest started another prayer, this time in a language Tsu’tey could not understand. Grace had taught them that other human languages existed but he had never heard any of them until now. It was a weird experience to heard words he could not understand. And once that prayer was over the priest started enough and enough. Finally the priest brought his service to a close.

“Present!” Metzger said. Several of the sky people raised their weapons into the air.

“Fire!” The rifle cracks filled the air, spending birds flying into the air. 

Neymora who had been watching the ceremony with fascination as the sky people began sprinkling dirt across the bodies. “You have many prayers. I am surprised that sky people had any. What do they mean?” she asked. The sky people priest looked at her, clearly confused.

“She’s asking why you have so many prayers, Glenn,” Metzger translated.

“Well they’re all burial rites. Thought it was best to cover the major religions. We’ve got people registered as Protestant, Catholic, Muslim, Jewish, Hindu, and Buddhists in there. Plus a couple of the new religions, but I didn’t know their funeral rites.” Glenn said.

“What do you mean religions? How many gods do you have?” Tsu’tey asked.

“Depending on how you define it, thousands,” Glenn replied. “You get so many new age religions in the urban jungle you can’t really keep track of them.” Tsu’tey digested this concept and turned to Neymora.

“They are funeral prayers to their gods. They have many.” He said, not waiting for Metzger to translate.

“Gods?” Neymora asked confused.

“Their great mothers,” Tsu’tey explained. 

“Why would they have so many great mothers?” She asked

“The human race has not agreed on many things,” Metzger said cutting in. “Everyone has their own idea of who their gods is. Even in groups that agree on the major points people still disagree on the finer details,”

“Why does your great mother not provide guidance?” Neymora said. Metzger smiled as if he heard a joke.

“We cannot bond with our great mother like you can,” He said pointing towards the  _ T _ ree of Souls in the distance. “So we have to rely on our own judgement on what to do. Probably why we screwed up so much.”

“Fascinating. Perhaps I have misunderstood you sky people,” Neymora said as the sky people began shovelling earth into the grave. 

“We all did,” Metzger replied.

Tsu’tey watched Norm as they filled in the grave, leaving a metal spike to mark the site and returned to Hometree. It was clear that while burying Trudy had at least publicly eased his grief for her death it still remained bottled up within him. No person would succeed in their training with that hanging over them. Tsu’tey remembered how the death of Sylwanin had disrupted his training for months while he dealt with his own remorse. Norm needed to make inner peace, and Tsu’tey know how to achieve this.

“So, you finally going to teach me to ride?” Norm asked when Tsu’tey brought out a pair of pa’li.

“No, to see how much you remember what I taught you before the battle. It is no good teaching you if you cannot remember it.” Tsu’tey said.

“Seems silly to think that I was scared of these things,” Norm commented trying to climb onto his pa’li. He failed the first time but succeeded on the second attempt. “Clearly I still have some learning to do.” he said.

“You sky people seem to be afraid of almost everything.” Tsu’tey said, easily climbing onto and bounding to his pa’li in a single swift motion. Norm nervously connected his queue with the pa’li. He gripped tightly as the pa’li bucked. “At least you didn’t fall off again. You seem to at least remember the basics.”

“Hey, I think I’m doing well given all I got was the intensive course,” Norm said.

“Now lets see how well you ride. Follow me!” Tsu’tey kicked his pa’li into a swift trot, disappearing into the jungle. After a moment’s struggle Norm got his ride moving to follow him.

They rode hard. It had been a long time since Tsu’tey had ridden a pa’li. Too long. Norm meanwhile just concentrated on staying on and keeping up. This impressed Tsu’tey, while his riding skills were poor and the pa’li was doing most of the work he did not fall. 

They rested for a while at the base at the waterfall they had thundered across. “It appears that you are a natural pa’li makto.” Tsu’tey noted as they watered their pa’li.

“Don’t be silly,” Norm protested. “I’ve only just started learning how to ride.”

“You’ve made faster progress than Jake,” Tsu’tey said. While he made sure to criticise Norm when he made a mistake, he needed to recognise his achievements more. “But his destiny was clearly to be an ikran makto. I hope you will have the same natural skill when you undergo Iknimaya.”

“Oh god, I’m expected to get an ikran as well?” Norm asked, looking concerned.

“Iknimaya is the most important rite of passage to becoming one of the people,” Tsu’tey pointed out.

“Okay, if it’s required...” Norm asked, climbing back onto his pa’li. “So are we heading back? It’s getting kind of late.” He nodded at the darkening sky. “No. There is something I want to show you first.”

Tsu’tey said, mounting his own ride.

It didn’t take them long to reach the area where the trees of voices were located. Tsu’tey had learned from the rest of the clan were they were and had the route described to him in detail. He had thought long and hard before bringing Norm here. They had never shown outsiders like the sky people the tree of voices. Afterall, look what happened when Neytiri had shown Jake the clan’s old grove. The day after the sky people had destroyed them. While he knew it was not Jake’s fault, it underlined how their connection to Eywa could be threatened. However, he had ultimately decided that this was for the best. He had used the tree of voices to find contentment. Why should Norm be denied Eywa’s guidance? It wasn’t like he was an outsider any more. 

They dismounted and approached the gulch where the trees grew. “These trees,” Norm said seeing them, rubbing his hand through the hanging tendrils. “They’re like the one’s Jake described that the bulldozers destroyed. Is this another holy site?”

“Any tree of voices is a holy site.” Tsu’tey replied. Norm looked around as the bioluminescence of the trees started appearing as the sun set in the gulch. 

“So why did you bring me here?” he asked. “You never seemed one for sightseeing. Is this part of the training?”

“No,” Tsu’tey said bringing up his queue and brushing it against one of the  _ tendrils. _ “This is about seeking inner peace with Eywa.”

He felt the pure emotion of the voices wash over him. It had been so long. For a moment he let himself be lost in the flow of indiscernible voices. He felt the love, joy, triumph and glory. Finally he closed his eyes and concentrated his thoughts, focusing the bound. The voices faded into the background. He opened his eyes to see Sylwanin walking towards him. “Hello again, Tsu’tey. I am thankful you have not forgotten me.” she said.

“I will never forget you, Sylwanin,” Tsu’tey said, touching their hands together. “But it has been a very turbulent time.”

“How so?” she asked, oblivious to her death. “Did we stop the sky people?"

“Not at the time,” Tsu’tey said, remembering seeing her death. “But we did in the end, but not without cost. The sky people destroyed Hometree and killed your father. They even threatened the tree of souls itself.”

“But you lead the clan to victory?” she said.

“Not exactly,” Tsu’tey admitted. “A dreamwalker, Jake Sully, became toruk makto and united the clans against his own kind. He is now Olo'eyktan of the clan with Neytiri as his mate.” He still put a note of bitterness on the last fact.

“Much has changed indeed,” Sylwanin commented, observing Tsu’tey’s face. “But you are still alive. I sense you are still troubled?”

“Everything I was destined to be is gone,” Tsu’tey pointed out. “After I lost you, I still had a future for me. To be mated to Neytiri and become Olo'eyktan after your father. Now I am none of these things. What am I to do now?”

“I do not know,” Sylwanin admitted. “But I think there is someone better placed to give you purpose.”

Tsu’tey turned his head at an exhale of breath to see a new figure sitting on a branch. “Eytukan!” he muttered. He had not called on the former Olo'eyktan, but he knew what Eywa was truly capable of and he was a natural person to ask for advice.

“I take it that I am dead?” Eytukan asked, showing the classic confusion about his nature.

“I am afraid so sir. The sky people destroyed the tree of voices. Then they came for hometree and burned it. You... did not survive.” Tsu’tey explained.

“I hope you have made war with the sky people for this,” Eytukan casually brushed off the news of his own death.

“We did. But I did not alone. A new dreamwalker called Jake Sully became toruk makto and lead the clans to a great victory.” Tsu’tey continued.

“I am surprised. I did not expect that dreamwalker Neytiri returned with to achieve so much...” he said. That at least dated when Eytukan had last connected to the tree of voices.

“There is more. He is also mated to Neytiri now. He is Olo'eyktan.” Tsu’tey admitted, bowing his head. Eytukan gave a disapproving grunt.

“I knew he would be trouble.”

“Okay! Who the fuck are you talking to?” Norm suddenly asked. 

Norm’s interruption snapped Tsu’tey back to the real world. Sylwanin and Eytukan became soft and indistinct. Norm was looking at Tsu’tey like he had gone mad. “I’m talking to Sylwanin and Eytukan,” Tsu’tey said in annoyance. It was impolite to interrupt someone when they were deep in the bound.

“Um, aren’t they both dead?” Norm pointed out stepping away from Tsu’tey slightly. “You’re just talking into thin air.”

Tsu’tey noticed that Norm hadn’t bonded with the tree of voices and realised how surreal the concept must be for an outsider. “I am speaking to them through Eywa,” he said, trying to explain. Such a simple concept seemed so difficult to describe. “Through these trees are able to commune with Eywa and the memories of those past that exist within her.”

“You mean an afterlife,” Norm said, instantly understanding the idea. “A place where the souls of the dead live on after death.”

“Yes. There is no death, only change. When our bodies die we will live on within Eywa and the trees of voices allow the living to talk to us.” Norm looked around the trees with a new air of reverence.

“We had some theories about these trees but I had no idea. No wonder their destruction drove you mad.”

“Who are you speaking to?” Sylwanin’s indistinct form asked.

“Norm Spellman, a dreamwalker, my student.” Tsu’tey explained, Sylwanin became more distinct.

“You are not teaching that whelp Dr Augustine brought to us!” Eytukan commented.

“He fought with us. He is a good person.” Tsu’tey defended Norm. He knew Eytukan had also been privately dismissive of Neytiri training Jake. 

“Talking to them again?” Norm asked.

“Yes” Tsu’tey replied, annoyed as Sylwanin lost focus as he was distracted. “Just, explaining who you were.”

“You mean they can see me?” Norm looked around nervously.

“No. They can only communicate with us. An individual cannot interact with the physical realm. Only the combined might of Eywa can.”

“I hope I can still bring you good harvests,” Sylwanin commented.

“But are they sentient? Alive and thinking?” Norm asked, fascinated by the concept.

“They are ultimately memories,” Tsu’tey admitted. “If I die tomorrow my memories of today would live on. But a memory cannot learn new things. They are a person at a moment of time.”

“That doesn’t sound much of an afterlife...” Norm commented.

“They live on in Eywa and within our hearts, what could be better?” Tsu’tey countered.

“I don’t know,” Norm said, turning away in discomfort. “So what’s it like?” he added rubbing his hand across one of the trees.

“Why not find out yourself?” Tsu’tey suggested.

“You mean do it myself?” Norm said, surprised at the suggestion. “There isn’t some kind of rite I have to do first?”

“A new born child is linked by their mother,” Tsu’tey pointed out. “I can not think of a reason why you cannot.” Norm picked up his queue and looked at the tendrils around him.

“So how do I do this?” he asked.

“You bond with it just like a pa’li,” Tsu’tey said, growing tired of Norms slowness. After a moment's hesitation Norm pushed his queue against a tendril. 

Norm let out a slight gasp as the bond hit him. His irises dilating as he stood listening to the voices washing over him. “You didn’t warn me,” he finally said after a moment. “So many voices, so much emotion. It’s overwhelming.”

“Do not attempt to take it all in,” Tsu’tey warned. “Eywa is a mighty river and you are just a single drop of water. Let yourself be carried along a single current for a while.”

“What the hell does that mean?”

“Concentrate on one thing, a concept or idea. And see where Eywa takes you.” Norm thought for a moment.

“The voices have reduced. I can almost make them out,” he commented.

“Eywa is a fickle mother. Sometimes her voice is clear, other times not,” Tsu’tey said. “Now focus on the idea of your sky people pilot, Trudy. Perhaps you will find her within Eywa.”

“Oh come on Tsu’tey!” Norm said. “Trudy isn’t going to be within here. She could never bond with these trees and there wasn’t enough for a neuroscientist to reconstruct her brain.”

Tsu’tey hadn’t expected Norm to reject even the possibility of Trudy living in within Eywa. “Perhaps,” he admitted after a moment. He didn’t know what a neuroscientist was but it was likely some kind of sky person scientist. “But perhaps experiencing how past generations overcame their loss can help you overcome your own grief.”

“I’m not grieving!” Norm snapped. “I just need time to process her death, that’s all.”

“Then listen. I find the bond is a great way to contemplate on problems.” Not entirely convinced, Norm concentrated. 

“The voices are changing. The emotions to. Anger, hate, bitterness,” he commented.

“Push past that. Feel how their songs change.” Norm tried to focused, slowly becoming lost in the sound of Eywa. Tsu’tey allowed himself to sink back into his own link, Sylwanin came back into focus, who seemed to be studying Norm.

“These dream walkers are so strange,” She said, walking around him. “I can almost sense his mind, so alien. This Normspellman is intriguing.”

“They are sky people, despite their false bodies. And its actually Norm Spellman.” Tsu’tey pointed out. Norm didn’t appear to notice.

“Why do you wish to train him?” Eytukan asked.

“I told you. He fought with us against his kind. He has proved himself worthy.” Tsu’tey repeated his argument.

“Do not lie to me,” Eytukan said. “You started training him because you wanted to prove you could make him a better member of the people than Jake Sully.”

“Perhaps I did,” Tsu’tey admitted. He had never denied it mentally.

“But you have changed your mind. You want him to succeed. To truly become one of the people.” Sylwanin observed.

“Do not be ridiculous-” Tsu’tey was about to say but stopped. She was right.

“I always knew you better than you did yourself.” she said as he looked at her, giving him a loving smile. 

“I wish you truly did,” Tsu’tey said in despair. “Sylwanin, what am I to do! Without Neytiri, my future as Olo'eyktan, without you, what purpose do I have?” He continued, brushing her cheek. She kissed him.

“Eywa does not always set out our lives for us. She expects us to make our own path through the jungle of life. I suggest you find something that will drive you on to greatness. Outside of protecting the clan of course.” She said, anticipating his next statement.

“What would you suggest?” Tsu’tey asked. Sylwanin looked over to Norm still lost in the bond.

“You seem to enjoy training Norm.” she looked over at him “Perhaps that will be your true calling. Or perhaps it will lead to something more...” She continued, suddenly looking intently at Tsu’tey. 

“What does that mean?” Tsu’tey asked at the suggestion.

“Problem?” Norm said looking up.

“No. I...” Tsu’tey started to say but his concentration was broken and Sylwanin had totally disappeared. “It doesn’t matter. How was it?” He continued. Norm sucked his lip. 

“I’m not sure I really got most of it. A lot of it felt like I was just getting link desync, but I did get the feeling that I wasn’t the only one to experience these feelings.” He admitted.

“How do you mean?” Tsu’tey asked, genuinely interested in Norm’s experience.

“As I ran through how I felt about the loss of Trudy, the loss, grief, regret and even the anger I could feel like how others had experienced the same emotions, the same problems.” he struggled to describe it.

“And a sense of euphoria. Yes, that is the touch of Eywa,” Tsu’tey said.

“I suppose it kind of was,” Norm admitted.

“So do you feel better?”

“I suppose so. It's nice to know that other people really feel the same way about things sometimes.” He looked up at the stars which were now out. “Its night, are we going to sleep here?” he added.

“No, the night is still young. Let’s see how well you ride at night,” Tsu’tey decided. While he did want to see how Norm handled himself, he also wanted to get away and think about what Sylwanin had said.


	4. Chapter 4

One of the few parts of being a hunter that Tsu’tey disliked was foraging. Searching for fruits and vegetables in the jungle always felt like a waste of his talents. However, he did accept it was his duty as a hunter to provide for the clan, whatever the produce required. Unsurprisingly Norm rather enjoyed it. It fitted his seemingly insatiable appetite to learn about everything. “Have you filled the second basket?” he asked Norm.

“Only just started,” Norm said, coming around the fruit bush they had been harvesting, pulling his loincloth up a bit.

“Well you need to work faster,” he replied. “You should have filled that one up too by now.”

Tsu’tey had been surprised when Norm had suddenly turned up first thing one day in a loincloth. “I thought you said you were not ready?” he asked when he saw him.

“I just accepted it was time,” Norm explained, still self conscious of his exposed body. “Those shorts were ridiculous and after I heard some of the men sniggering on the flight back I decided to bite the bullet and got Ninat to give me a hand.”

“Why did you bite the bullet? Or is this another sky person expression?”

“Just a figure of speech.” Norm explained rolling his eyes.

Tsu’tey was redoubling his efforts to fill up the basket when he stopped and stared intensely into the treeline.

“Do You hear something?” Norm asked also looking around the jungle for threats.

“No,” Tsu’tey replied, unslinging his hunting bow. “But I sense yerik.”

“You’re sure?” Norm said, unconvinced.

“A hunter’s senses are never wrong,” he replied. It had not been a sound that had alerted him but the inane sense of the jungle he had spent years honing. It was something that he knew Norm would probably never get close too much, perhaps in time he wouldn’t at least be blind. 

They moved through the jungle quietly, something that Norm at last was getting good at. “Come on,” he hissed as they carried on. “We’ve wasted enough time on this.”

“You give up too quickly. The fruit will not spoil,” Tsu’tey pointed out, as he rounded a tree. He pulled back quickly and waved Norm over to take a peek. A group of yerik foraging in the undergrowth. “What did I tell you.”

“Fine.” Norm said.

“Now, make your kill.” Tsu’tey handed him the bow, an arrow already notched. 

“Do I have to?” Norm said, looking pained.

“Of course. Every hunter must kill a yerik.”

“Fine...” Norm said, taking the bow and started itching forward to take the shot.

As Tsu’tey followed him he half expected Norm to make a noise and scare them off, but he actually got into a good position to make his attack. He looked at Norm, signalling him to make the shot. Norm pulled back on the bow. For a split second he wavered, unsure of his future action. A yerik looked up, clearly sensing the damager. “Shoot!” Tsu’tey hissed. The yerik started already starting to scatter. Giving in, Norm fired the shot. 

However his target had already started moving, a good strike in the chest turned into a thigh shot. The yerik screeched, scrambling to run away with its wound. “After it!” Tsu’tey said and their prize disappeared into the undergrowth. It wasn’t a long chase, they found the yerik a few hundred paces away, collapsed from exhaustion and blood loss, but still alive for the moment.

“You must end her life,” Tsu’tey said, offering Norm his own knife. Norm still insisted on using his sky people blade rather than a proper hunting knife. It would not be proper for the ritual he must perform.

“Me?” Norm asked shocked by the idea.

“Of course,” Tsu’tey said. “You did this to him. He will go to Eywa in pain unless you give him a quick death. It is your duty.” He thrust the knife into Norm’s hand. “You know the words?”

“Yes, but I never expected it to be like this...” Norm said looking from the occasionally struggling yerik and the knife in his hand.

“This is what being a hunter is like. It is the cycle of life.” 

“Okay,” Norm muttered, prepar i ng himself mentally. “I See you, Brother, and thank you,” he said to the yerik, stabbing the knife into its flesh. It was a poor thrust, aim too high. The yerik let about a high pitched scream of pain. “Your spirit goes with Eywa- and- I am so sorry!” he continued going off script as he looked into the animals eyes. “I’m sorry,” he repeated, stabbing again and again almost uncontrollably at the yerik until it lay still, its blood staining the ground.

“...your body stays behind to become part of the People,” Tsu’tey said, reaching over to complete the ritual. Norm simply sat on the ground looking at the corpse in shock. “It is always difficult making your first kill,” Tsu’tey said kneeling down to lay his hand on Norm’s shoulder. “I realise this is not the sky people way but this is an important step in your training.”

“I am not a killer.” was all Norm said, getting up and turning away. 

“He will never be a warrior!” Tsu’tey said out loud, fuming as he paced up and down back at home tree. 

“He seemed to be making good progress,”Jake said leaned back, letting Tsu’tey vent.

“He made good progress at first,” Tsu’tey admitted. “But now his progression has slowed, I’m always having to push him to learn, and today’s hunt was a disaster!” Norm had refused to carry the dead yerik, the right of every hunter, so Tsu’tey had had to carry it, the blood flowing down his back. What should have been a moment of triumph and success for both of them had become a bitter incident. “I fear he will never be ready for Iknimaya.”

“Are you really sure about that? He did make the kill, sure it was sloppy, but he did it.” Jake pointed out.

“Just making a yerik kill is not enough to be ready for Iknimaya,” Tsu’tey said reproachfully. Despite how much Jake had learned he stilled missed the underlying subtly of things sometimes. “To be ready for Iknimaya you must show not just skill, which may come to him in time, but also a dedication to the ways of Eywa. That is his true weakness. He has not truly absorbed her teachings. He recites the words without conviction.”

“It's not easy for us to unlearn so much,” Jake said pursing his lips. “You have to basically unlearn how you see the world. Even though I thought it was just baloney for a long time. Until I suddenly didn’t.”

“When did you suddenly start seeing?” Tsu’tey asked. He didn’t know what baloney was but he got the disrespectful tone. Not the way a Olo'eyktan should describe the words of Eywa, even indirectly.

“It was probably just before my first kill,” Jake said, thinking back. “It’s difficult to describe but I was in the link so much it felt like my life out of it was a dream, it had no meaning. It was only when I was in this body that the world felt real and I had a purpose. Your way suddenly seemed so correct after that.” Jake struggled to put  _ w _ ords to his thoughts. “In truth I’d never really thought why until you asked me.” he added.

“Perhaps we need to produce the same feelings in Norm,” Tsu'tey mused. “Where is he?”

“Taking a break in one of the hammocks,” Jake said “Apparently the team is having a potluck lunch.”

“He’s actually using the hammocks?” Tsu’tey asked.

“No, I let him use our large one to try it out,” Jake explained, pointing up towards the hammocks above them. “Anyway, I’m not going to let you screw up Norm like I was just to get him to see. There must be another way.” 

“I can keep training him,” Tsu’tey said sitting down next to Jake. “Perhaps a few more sessions with Mo’at. He did seem to respond well to them. But we both know time is not on our side.”

“Yes, Tyso and his gang is becoming a problem, yes,” Jake admitted. “I’d hoped Norm’s progress might calm them but they never seem satisfied.”

“Tyso will never be satisfied while you are Olo'eyktan,” Tsu’tey pointed out what they both feared. “He openly challenges your authority.” Tyso had complained about the makeup of a hunting party. He wanted to insert some of his group into leadership roles.

“Only in minor issues, and never directly,” Jake pointed out.

“During which you show personal weakness by calling a vote amongst the clan. You have to show you can impose your will as Olo'eyktan,” Tsu’tey pleaded. Jake had called on the clan to decide on who to lead, only for Tsu’tey to step up for him and say he would lead the hunt. Tyso couldn’t protest about him being the leader. While there was time for negotiation sometimes an Olo'eyktan must rule.

“I will not be a dictator,” Jake replied.

_ _ “Then perhaps it would be best to pause Norm’s training and break off contract with the other sky people,” Tsu’tey suggested. “At least until Tyso’s supporters leave him and we can slowly re-establish things.”

“I’m not abandoning them.” Jake replied.

“The alternative would be for you to give the position of Olo'eyktan to me. They respect me,” Tsu’tey said.

“I seem to remember you gave this job to me,” Jake pointed out.

“I was just laying out the option,” Tsu’tey replied expecting the answer. “But we must prepare for what happens if Norm becoming one of the people doesn’t solve anything.” 

The sound of a yelp echoed through the chamber from above. “Sounds like Norms back,” Jake said standing up. “Better see how he is before he injures himself.”

“Are all sky people so clumsy?” Tsu’tey asked as they climbed up the tree.

“I wouldn’t call us clumsy. Just we like to take things a bit slower.”

“I hope he learns to be faster,” he replied as Norm appeared coming down the slope. 

“There you are,” Jake said smirking as he saw Norm. “We were worried you were about to fall off.”

“I just lost my balance as I was climbing out,” Norm said, laughing off the joke.

“Yeah, they’re a little tricky the first time you try to get out,” Jake admitted. “So you think you could sleep in these permanently?”

“I suppose so,” Norm said still uncertain. “At least try it out for one night.”

“That’s the spirit,” Jake said. “Anyway, I’ve got stuff to do. I’ll leave you and Tsu’tey to get on with things.” Tsu’tey turned to Norm as Jake disappeared.

“Come,” he said beckoning “We need to talk.”

“So do you want to talk about it?” Tsu’tey asked once they were safely in the privacy of the jungle.

“About what?” Norm asked.

“How you reacted to your kill,” he said. “How can someone who takes up arms against his own kind react so strongly to the death of a yerik?”

“I will admit I was caught up in the emotion of it all. I knew that I can to stop the company destroying all of this,” Norm pointed to the forest around them. “But it’s different, you know. You’re not shooting at a person, you’re shooting at a blob in the distance or just an AMP suit. Hell, most of the time I wasn’t even at anyone in particular. But there it felt different. I could tell I was killing a living creature. I could hear it’s pain. It just felt so wrong and I was ashamed of myself.”

“What is there to be ashamed about?” Tsu’tey asked. “I mourn every kill I make, but it is part of the great cycle of Eywa. Surely that is enough to assuage your conscience.”

“Not really. It's more the act itself.” Norm replied. “Before I came here I’d never killed anything larger than a fly and here I am, killing hexapede, sorry, yerik. I just don’t think this is the kind of life I want.” So despite all that Norm had learned Tsu’tey thought, he was ultimately still a scientist.

“Jake adapted well,” he noted.

“Jake is a soldier,” Norm pointed out. “He was trained to do this kind of stuff. Don’t let him know I said that.”

“You sky people always seem so contradictory. Perhaps it is me that should be studying you.” Tsu’tey suggested. 

“Well, if you want.” Norm said. “One of the jobs of the avatar project was for you to learn about us, and while we’ve been learning so much about you, there hasn’t been much of the former.” Tsu’tey flashed back to Grace’s school and Sylwanin’s body.

“We learned enough,” he noted. “But perhaps there is more to be understood.”

“That’s good enough for me,” Norm said.

“However,” Tsu’tey continued, putting on his teaching voice. “If you cannot bring yourself to kill, what is the point of continuing your training?” 

“I thought you were the one that said a hunter's life was not all about killing?” Norm countered. “I can still forage and support the activities of others. Spear carrier, you know.” Dammit, he had him there Tsu’tey realised. While being a forager wasn’t in the same league as being a hunter it wasn’t enough to break off Norm’s training either. 

“Fine, your training will continue, let us get back to hometree.” He said. 

It was in the late afternoon that Norm got to teach Tsu’tey about sky people. “What is that?” Tsu’tey asked as Norm dragged out a sky person device he had brought. Tsu’tey had warned Norm to avoid using sky people technology as not to trigger Tyso.

“Just a laptop,” Norm said setting the device up, its screen showing off strange patterns. He pulled out several other objects from a bag. “However these are something special.” He handed one of them to Tsu’tey.

“What is it?” Tsu’tey asked, inspecting the object. It looked similar to a rider’s mask but made of the strange black sky people material, plastic he think he’d heard it called. He tried looking through its lenses, but simply saw black. “It seems broken.”

“It's a VR headset,” Norm replied.

“VR?” Another sky people word.

“Sorry, virtual reality,” Norm translated, Tsu’tey just stared at him confused. “Its projects an artificial world through the glasses then tracks your body movements and tracks them in the environment,” he continued, trying to get across the concept.

“You will have to show me,” Tsu’tey  _ s _ aid after a moment.

“Don’t worry, you’ll understand when you experience it. Let me just set up these sensors.” He withdrew a couple of pods from a bag and placed them in a square around them. 

“Now  _ j _ ust let me get it all configured,” Norm said, bending down to fiddle with the machine. Tsu’tey smirked as Norm mooned him, his loincloth sliding off his ass. For a person that had clung to his sky people clothes so much he didn’t notice he was showing off so much skin. “What are you looking at-” Norm said looking up, then realising his position squatted down hurriedly. “Now put them on like this,” he said putting his own mask on. Tsu’tey followed and stood in darkness with soft buds covering his ears.

“I’m not impressed.” He commented.

“Wait until you see this,” Norm said and there was a clicking sound. 

Suddenly the blackness around Tsu’tey exploded with light. An abstract worldscape snapped into existence around them, a rolling grassy plains with several floating spheres near them showing off various moving pictures. Tsu’tey had to pull up the mask for a second to see that they really hadn’t been transported by some unknown sky people technology. No, they were still at the base of hometree. “So, impressed?” A glowing triangle with a sphere on top asked.

“Yes,” Tsu’tey admitted. “That is you Norm?”

“Yes. This system’s user avatar was always pretty shitty. We had planned to edit it as a teaching aid but that things were so bad when I arrived it was shelved.” Norm’s new form said. “Try walking around.” he added, his form stepping back a bit. Tsu’tey took a step to the side, the odd disconnect of feeling grass underneath his feet but seeing smooth rock. The world moved seamlessly around him.

“Even more impressive. How does it work?” He continued moving to the side but stopped as a glowing box appeared around them.

“I’m not even going to bother trying to explain it. Just imagine it as a magic box that shows you different worlds.”

“And how do you access these different world?” Tsu’tey asked reaching for one of the floating spheres with moving images on it. “Is it something to do with these?”

“Don’t touch that one,” Norm said but Tsu’tey’s hand had already touched the sphere. Instantly the world faded back into darkness apparent from a spinning symbol. 

“Good luck Norm!” a large group of voices suddenly shouted around them. Tsu’tey spun around to see that he was in a strange room filled with sky people. Sky people that were normal sized. Strange to see them from the same size and without their masks. They seemed to be having some kind of festival, on one side of the room was a table piled high with food and many of the sky people were holding plates of food. “What is this?” Tsu’tey asked in confusion.

“Its my leaving party _ . _ ” Norm replied.

“A party?”

“A celebration,” Norm explained, oddly sorrowful. “This was going to be the last time I’d see them for nearly 20 years. There I am over there.” his avatar gestured to where Norm’s human body was sitting surrounded by smiling sky people.

“Friends?” Tsu’tey asked.

“Yes. Old school friends, some from college and the training program. Here comes mum with the cake.” A female sky person appeared from another room, carrying a large object on a plate. 

“A cake?”

“A type of sweet bread.” The female placed the cake, complete with candles in from of human Norm.

“You’re going to make a wish?” an older male next to him asked.

“Your father?” Tsu’tey asked.

“If you insist, dad,” human Norm replied, blowing out the candles as the room cheered.

“Yep,” the real Norm replied. “He could never accept that I was coming here, but he put on a good show for the party.” Tsu’tey watched Norm’s mother cut the cake, offering the first slice to the human Norm.

“They must have been fond of you,” he commented.

“Yeah, they were.” Norm sighed.

Tsu’tey looked around the room again, it was small, cramped for the number of people it. Surely they had a bigger communal space for this. He saw a window and looked outside. Across from him a grey building similar to the ones at their base but even bigger stared back. He could just make out tiny windows into similar tiny rooms. Stretching off into the distance, similar grey towers filled the world while metal machines moved along their ugly roads or hovered in the air. The sky was a grey stain as if it had just been raining. There was not a single piece of greenery. 

“You lived in this nightmare world?” Tsu'tey asked. 

“Norm?” He added when Norm did not reply. He heard Norm quietly sob. Pulling off the headset Tsu’tey saw Norm without the headset wiping a tear from his eyes.

“Sorry,” he muttered. “We shouldn’t have watched that recording. It brought back so many memories.” He brushed further tears away. “It’s just that it hit me that I’m never going to see any of them ever again.” He looked so alone for a second that Tsu’tey knew he had to act.

“One of the things we learn is that there is only change,” he said clasping Norm’s hand in his comforting own. “While you may not be able to see your family again, you have a new one as part of the clan. We are your brothers and sisters now.” Norm gripped Tsu’tey’s hand strongly for a moment.

“Thank you,” he said recomposing himself. “I kind of lost it there for a moment.” He looked down at both of them holding hands and jerked his hand away, embarrassed. Strange, Tsu’tey thought. There was nothing to be ashamed about offering emotional support to someone in need. 

The spear splashed into the water. Norm pulled it out, a mid sized fish, skewered on its barbs flapped weakly. “Good, you’re getting good at this!” Ninat commented as Norm pushed the fish off the spear and into a basket.

“I See you, Brother, and thank you,” Norm whispered as he did so. “Yeah it's oddly satisfying when you finally get a catch.”

“Its is not too difficult to learn. Most children learn to hunt from fishing,” Tsu’tey said, putting down his own spear on the riverbank. Norm’s catch was scattered across the fish shoal and it would take a while for them to settle again.

“Considering he hasn’t been doing it for long, I’d say he’s doing well.” Ninat defended him.

“I still find it surprising that a person who struggle to kill a yerik has no problem hunting fish,” Tsu’tey pointed out. Jake had suggested he try to ease Norm into being fine with killing by hunting lesser creatures. 

“I find easier to kill something that can’t look back at me.” Norm replied. No wonder sky people prefer to fight in metal machines Tsu’tey noted. Still, it was a start. Perhaps he should start getting him to herd fwampop.

As the stream cleared, Norm looked down at his reflection, running his hand through his hair. “Man, my hair is a mess...” he muttered, pulling out his knife and putting it against his hair.

“What are you doing?” Tsu’tey asked as Norm started sawing at his hair.

“Cutting it,” Norm explained pausing. “I would use a mirror and scissors but we never made one in avatar size.”

“You should braid it,” Tsu’tey suggested. Both Norm and Ninat looked at him. “Braided hair is the sign of a warrior,” he continued.

“You really think it would look better?” Norm asked, unsure at adopting Tsu’tey’s hair style.

“At the very least, it would take it out of your eyes.” Ninat pointed out.

“Fine, let's do this,” Norm accepted the offer.

“Good,” Ninat said, smiling and picked up Norm’s spear. “There is a good spot up the stream by the waterfall,” she added to Tsu’tey.

“For what?” Norm asked.

“To bathe,” Tsu’tey explained. “It is easier to braid when the hair is wet.” Norm looked shocked at the suggestion.

“You’re coming with us?” he asked Ninat.

“No, you boys go alone. I will finish filling the basket.” She replied.

“I am experienced at braiding, if that is what concerns you.” Tsu’tey said as they started walking up stream.

“No, it's not that...” Norm said looking back at Ninat.

“Then what?”

“...nothing.” Norm said after a moment. 

After a few minutes walk they came to the large waterfall that Ninat had described. Its stream splashed down into a deep lagoon before going over a smaller fall to continue downstream. “A nice place,” Norm commented.

“The old hometree’s lake was better,” Tsu’tey said, taking off his war band. “But this place will do.” He let his loincloth drop to the ground.

“What are you doing?!” Norm shouted, turn away to shield his eyes.

“Do you expect me to get my clothes wet unnecessarily?” he pointed out, putting the loincloth on his pile of clothes.

“I guess so... but you could have warned me!” Norm complained. Tsu’tey smiled. He’d forgotten how Norm was so self-conscious about nudity.

“I suppose I should get into the water,” he said grinning and dived into the water. Coming back up to the surface he saw Norm still fully clothed standing on the bank. “You are coming in?” He asked. For a moment Norm looked like he was going to say no.

“Alright... but look away,” he said eventually struggling with his loincloth.

“Fine,” Tsu’tey said and turned away. After a few seconds there was a splash followed by a shrill cry. “What is it?” he turned back around to see Norm splashing around in the water.

“You could have warned me about the temperature...” he said, calming down.

“What do you mean? This is normal.” Tsu’tey asked, this was the usual temperature for river water unless it was near a volcano.

“Oh, nevermind.” Norm said, splashing over. 

For a moment they threaded water, relaxing in the tranquil sound of the waterfall and bird song. Tsu’tey flopped onto his back. Just for an instant he could feel all the pressures of life fading away in this perfect moment between him and Norm. “You didn’t do this just to get me to swim with you?” Norm asked, breaking the mood.

“No,” Tsu’tey said returning to a vertical position. “I suppose we can get on with it.” They swam over to the waterfall. “Wash your hair. It will make it easier to braid,” he continued, sticking his own head under the falling water. 

As he pulled out of the water he looked at Norm washing himself. Watching the water flowing over his strong, naked body. A body that Tsu’tey had toned though long hours of training, hardening it into the body of a warrior. Well, almost. Just for a second he wanted to reach out and touch the body. Feel the muscle he had helped forge. “Are you looking at me?” Norm asked, rubbing water from his eyes.

“No,” Tsu’tey said quickly, sticking his head back under the water to wash those thoughts from his mind.

“So who wants to get out first?” Norm asked, quickly stepping back into deep water as they finished washing their hair.

“First in, first out I suppose.” Tsu’tey said, climbing out of the lagoon. He stood, letting the air dry his body.

“Will you hurry up?” Norm asked after a while. 

“You can just get out,” he pointed out.

“No offence, but two naked men mean something else to us humans...” Norm pointed out. 

Tsu’tey rolled his eyes at sky people intransigence and pulled on his loincloth. He was pretty dry anyway. He turned away to let Norm step out and pull on his own loincloth. 

“Good, we can start what we actually came here to do.” He said, beckoning Norm to sit down in front of him. Norm complied and sat down on the ground. Tsu’tey hunched down behind him pressing their bodies together to get a good position. Norm shifted, uncomfortable. “Problem?” Tsu’tey asked.

“No. Just never been in this situation before,” Norm replied.

“There is nothing to be afraid of.” Tsu’tey said as he started braiding the back of Norm’s hair. “It is perfectly natural for warriors to use situations like this to develop their emotional bonds. It increases trust and drives us to succeed.” 

“By Eywa, your hair is difficult to work with...” Tsu’tey snapped in annoyance after several minutes as another braid failed. Norm’s hair was so different from his own. Techniques he’d honed over the years failed as Norm’s soft wet hair slipped through his fingers or failed to hold together as he knotted it.

“Was afraid of that,” Norm admitted, feeling his hair. “Our hair is slightly different in nature to yours. Clearly we need a different strategy. I hear it's easier to work when its dry.”

“Perhaps you are right.” Tsu’tey said standing up. He’d been able to braid the sides of Norm’s hair and some of the front but it was sloppy work and the majority of his hair was still unbraided. “You probably need to let it grow out further before we can turn it into a full ponytail.”

“I can’t imagine myself with a ponytail,” Norm replied smirking.

“Perhaps we can find a style that suits you better.” Tsu’tey replied smiling back. “Now let us get back to Ninat.” 

Tsu’tey was putting the finishing touches to his new bow. The string had finally finished drying and had been strung to the frame. Tsu’tey itched to see how it would perform. “You make a fine weapon maker,” a voice said behind him. He looked up to see Neytiri standing over him.

“I just put effort into my work.” he replied.

“As I see in your training of Norm. You really put him though every test and trial of childhood and adulthood.” she commented. 

“I felt it necessary for someone with so much to learn. There were some valid ones you skipped with Jake.”

“It didn’t seem to hurt him. He would have passed them anyway.” Neytiri said, defending her methods. “Where is Norm, by the way?”

“With Mo’at,” Tsu’tey explained. “I thought him learning how to properly meditate might help develop his connection to Eywa, and she was willing to teach him for a bit.”

“She does have a bit of a soft spot for him,” Neytiri commented.

“Yes, probably because she doesn’t have to work with him all the time.”

“Jake can be slow on the finer points of being a Olo'eyktan,” she admitted, smiling. “But perhaps it is time we have a chat.”

“About what?” Tsu’tey put down his tools and turned to her, feeling things turn serious.

“You know what,” she said. “You’ve been avoiding me.”

“I have not been avoiding you!” Tsu’tey protested. “I have simply been too busy training Norm to greet everyone.”

“Too busy to talk to the mate of your Olo'eyktan?” She cocked her head.

“Fine, you are right.” Tsu’tey admitted. While he had been busy with Norm, he had avoided Neytiri when he had the chance.

“You are not still angry with me about mating with Jake?” Tsu’tey mentally cursed. Neytiri always could read him so easily.

“I do not hate you for giving yourself to him,” he said after a moment. “However, neither can I forgive you for doing it.” he continued.

“I see,” Neytiri said looking crestfallen. “Do you hate Jake as well?” She is testing me, Tsu’tey realised. She fears that my hate will drive me to back Tyso at a moment of crisis.

“He may have taken you from me,” he said, choosing his words carefully. “And acted as a spy for the sky people. However, I did see him become one of the people and lead us to victory as the toruk makto. I was right to make him my successor as I was about to die.” Did he truly believe it, he did not know. That being said, he would not betray him to support an idiot like Tyso.

“It is good you do not hate him,” Neytiri said in relief. “You do not know how much he relies on you to keep the clan together.”

“Neither did I.”

“Still I fear you are living too much in the past.” She continued.

“What do you mean?”

“You’re still trying to be the lead warrior of the hunt, the teacher of students like Norm, the right hand of the Olo'eyktan.”

“These are worthy positions to attain,” he pointed out.

“And what is your life outside of your position?” He looked puzzled as he digested question. He did not know. “To cut to the point. When are you going to choose a mate?” Neytiri asked.

“Mate?” Tsu’tey said out loud in surprise at the suggestion.

“You’re certainly old enough,” Neytiri pointed out. “And without me as your betrothed there are many who look at you as a potential prize.”

“I know, but I am not interested in finding a mate.” Tsu’tey protested.

“There is Ninat, she too is in the same situation,” Neytiri continued. Tsu’tey huffed in distaste. “Saeyla?” she added, not entirely serious.

“Enough!” he snapped in annoyance “I will mate in my own good time!”

“Good, but please don’t feel like you have to stay away.” She said, making to leave. 

“I hope I am not interrupting,” a voice said behind them. They both turned to see that Tyso and Atan had approached them. “May Eywa smile upon us, Neytiri, Tsu’tey.” He said, giving a semi formal greeting.

“Tyso,” Neytiri responded. Despite being the mate of the Olo'eyktan she held no formal position within the clan.

“What do you want Tyso?” Tsu’tey said, not wishing to deal with false pleasantries.

“I was thinking of organising a group hunt,” Tyso gestured to Atan and Takuk standing behind him. “I am sure you would like to participate and prove your new bow. It will be good to see how well your student performs. Perhaps he will achieve his first kill.” Another challenge to his and Jake’s authority. Either he turns him down and lose face, or be forced to bring Norm along and his failure to achieve a kill and be humiliated.

“Norm is not here,” he pointed out, playing for time. “He will probably not return until night. Perhaps we could do this another time.”

“Hey, there you are!” Norm said walking up to them. “Mo’at and I only just got back. Fascinating experience.” He look at the assembled group. “I hope I’m not interrupting anything.” You have an amazing ability to show up at the wrong time Tsu’tey wanted to scream at him, but he stayed silent.

“We were just wanting to see if you were coming on the group hunt,” Tyso explained. Tsu’tey saw the fear flash through Norm’s face for a split second.

“Is there still enough light for a hunt?” he asked, also trying to deflect the suggestion.

“Some of my best hunts have been in the dark,” Tyso said.

“I really don’t think I’m ready...” Norm muttered.

“He is just being modest,” Neytiri cut in suddenly. “He would love to join you.”

“What?” Norm said confused.

“You are a good hunter Norm,” Neytiri said dragging him aside for a second. “You will overcome your limitations. May Eywa shine on you. We’re counting on it.” You have no idea how true that is, Tsu’tey thought as he picked up his new bow. Still it would be good to test it in a real hunt.

They rode through the jungle on pa’li. Unnecessary of course. The land around hometree still had plenty of yerik. Tsu’tey suspected that Tyso had done so hoping Norm would fall off, but he was proved wrong. Norm rode with confidence even as they galloped along the tight jungle trails. Tired of waiting for him to make a mistake, Tyso signalled them to stop and dismounted. “We start our hunt here, follow.” He waved to Norm and the rest. 

“We all know how to hunt,” Tsu’tey said, unslinging his bow.

“Not all of us have proved they can.” He shot back.

“Don’t push me.” Tsu’tey said, the mask of civility slipping for a second. 

“Pushing what?” Tyso said pretending not to know what he meant. Tsu’tey sighed- this was going to be a painful hunt.

Takuk picked up a trail pretty quickly and they were soon moving through the trees at a good pace. “You must achieve a kill today,” Tsu’tey said to Norm as they walked.

“I still don’t think I can do it.” Norm replied.

“You must,” Tsu’tey almost hissed in frustration. “Or your training will be over.”

“Surely you know not to talk on a hunt.” Tyso cut in.

“Just offering encouragement,” Tsu’tey whispered. He felt a bit bad at being rough with Norm but he couldn’t afford to be soft. Not with with Tyso on their back. Norm looked concerned at his threat but stayed silent.

Atan raised his hand sensing something up ahead. Everyone froze as he slid to the nearest tree and took a peak. He signalled to follow carefully, their prey was in sight. Tsu’tey crept forward to see a large group of yerik foraging in a patch of bushes. Takuk had done well. “We attack together. Pick your targets.” Tyso said reading his bow.

“Take the one on the edge,” Tsu’tey whispered to Norm as he readied his own bow. One of the yerik had a limp from some previous injury. Not as high status a kill as normal but would react slower and might be an easier target for Norm.

“On my command,” Tyso ordered. Tsu’tey pulled his bowstring back, the bow flexed perfectly. “Now.” They rose as one giving the yerik no time to react and loosed their arrows.

The bow performed perfectly. The arrow hitting the yerik square in the chest, knocking it to the ground. Tsu’tey felt the euphoria of success die when he realised Norm had missed, his arrow sailing over the target and into the ground beyond it. He glanced over to see that Tyso, Atan and Takuk had hit their targets. The rest of the yerik scattered from the attack, disappearing into the trees in front of them.

They moved to finish their kills, Tsu’tey muttering the words under his breath as he drove his knife into the yerik while Norm stood overhead looking dejected. It wasn’t really necessary, the arrow had done its job well. “I was aiming to hit.” Norm said then stopped.

“I’m sure you were. Everyone misses once in a while.” Tsu’tey replied. Perhaps Norm had just been unlucky and missed. Or perhaps he had froze again and missed on purpose, seeking to avoid blame. Either way, Tyso would take pleasure in it.

“I’m disappointed,” Tyso commented and he finished his own kill. “I thought all the students of yours proved to be great hunters. Seems this dreamwalker has defeated you.”

“No hunter is always perfect,” Tsu’tey said in Norm’s defence.

“Or perhaps a scientist like that can never become one of the people.” Tyso spat. Tsu’tey’s grip on his knife tightened. He thought about challenging Tyso there and then, as much his own honour as Norm’s, but then a  _ y _ erik scurried past them. Yerik didn’t run towards an attacker. Not unless they were running from something worse.

“Get ready,” he warned, dropping into an alert stance as another Yerik raced past them. Tyso and the others did the same while Norm stood confused.

“What’s happening?” he asked just before they heard the cries. A yerik burst out of the undergrowth perused by a pack of nantang. The stampeding herd must have stumbled into their nest. 

“Drive them back!” Tsu’tey ordered, as the nantang turned towards them. This was bad, none of them had picked up their arrows and there probably wasn’t enough time to get off a shot before they would be upon them. Still, nantang scattered easily, all they had to do was kill the pack leader and the rest would run. One of them jumped towards him. He kicked it away. He slashed another one away. Tyso and Takuk were busy fighting their own attackers. 

Atan ducked down to pull an arrow from his kill. A nantang surprised him, knocking him to the ground. “Atan!” Tsu’tey called out rushing forward as Atan grappled with his attacker. His path was blocked by snarling nantang. Even as he drove it off he could see that he could not reach Atan in time before he was overpowered. 

Just as the beast raised it jaw to strike a killing blow, an arrow hit it in the face. Tsu’tey jerked his head to see Norm standing behind them, bow still raised. He must have grabbed one of the arrows from their kills. Broken, the nantang turned and fled into the jungle.

“You saved me...” Atan said, getting up, still in shock from the fight.

“Don’t mention it,” Norm said moving to the still twitching nantang. He paused for a moment looking at the animal before drawing his knife. “I See you, Brother, and thank you,” he said stabbing the knife down with some reluctance. “Your spirit goes with Eywa,” he began.

“That is the wrong prayer,” Tsu’tey said, standing next to time. 

“What do I say?” Norm asked look up confused. 

“Follow after me,” Tsu’tey putting his hand on the nantang. He really should have taught this one to Norm as well. He’d already done the deed but the ceremony should still be done. “Forgive me, my brother. May your spirit run with the Great Mother. Forgive me.” they said in unison. “And you are ready.” Tsu’tey decided.

Norm beamed when he realised what Tsu’tey had just said. “Really?” he asked.

“A bit rough around the edges. But I think you’ve proved yourself,” Tsu’tey admitted.

“How can he be ready?” Tyso protested. “He still has not achieved a hunting kill.”

“He succeeded in killing a nantang, and he saved my life,” Atan pointed out. “That proved he is worthy to be a hunter.” Tyso looked at him angrily for taking their side. 

“Its is my decision. He is my student, after all.” Tsu’tey pointed out.

“Fine,” Tyso said accepting defeat. “It is your decision.”

They returned to pick up their yerik kills. “We’re just going to leave it?” Norm asked, pointing back to his nantang kill.

“Nantang meat is a poor meal and the hide is too difficult to work,” Atan said.

“You could bring it as a trophy,” Tsu’tey suggested. “Or perhaps turn it into a cape.”

“I guess you’re right.” Norm said, leaving the corpse. As they traced their way to their pa’li Tsu’tey looked at Norm. While his hair still gave him away, he looked while a proper hunter. Tsu’tey smiled. While it was usual to feel pride to have a student ready for Iknimaya, this time he felt pride in helping Norm overcome his sky people nature.


	5. Chapter 5

One disadvantage of the Omaticaya’s new home, Tsu’tey realised as their pa’li moved through the floating mountains, was that the journey to their traditional Iknimaya start was even longer. Some had suggested they discover a new place to perform Iknimaya, but Tsu'tey had none of it, the Omaticaya had performed Iknimaya here for generations ,and while some things may change, traditions must be observed. “How are you holding up?” He asked, turning around to look at Norm who was riding just behind him, staring up into the sky.

“Yeah, Just admiring the view.” Norm said, snapping his eyes down. Tsu’tey glanced up at the floating islands above them, knocking slightly the wind.

“Try to keep focus,” he warned as they started moving along a sheer drop. “We don’t want you walking off the cliff.” It was unlikely of course, a pa’li was intelligent enough to follow a trail even if its rider was distracted.

As they continued climbing the path Tsu’tey thought back to the morning. “Never thought I’d see you doing this.” Jake had admitted as he inspected the small group that waited as Mo’at prepared to start the Iknimaya ritual.

“Neither did I,” Norm admitted, fidgeting as they sat.

“You’re not thinking of running out on us?” Jake continued. “After how far you’ve come.”

“Yeah, I’m just worried where it will lead.” Norm said.

“You will be considered a warrior and prepare to join the clan as one of the people,” Tsu’tey stated. Norm made an uncomfortable look at Jake who smiled. “Think of it as getting a new mode of transport. After you have your own ikran you won’t need to bother that pilot of yours to get around.”

“An ikran is more than a mode of transport. It is a symbol of status and responsibility.” Tsu’tey protested.

“I know, Tsu’tey. Just sometimes you need to sell it.” Jake explained.

He turned his attention to the rest of the group. It was a weird mix for an Iknimaya group, Norm, young Ka'leng, several other warriors that had lost their ikran in the war and Tsu’tey himself. “I know some of you have not been through this before,” Jake said looking at Norm and Tìyora'. “And some of you have.” he looked at Tsu’tey and the other warriors. “But I have done it myself, while it is hard, I know you will all succeed. May Eywa carry you to victory.” Neytiri approached them from the ramp up into hometree.

“We are ready.” she said.

It had been a smaller group that he’d expected waiting for them as they entered the main chamber. Tsu’tey simply hoped that it was because so many of them had done Iknimaya before and Tyso hadn’t put people off. Mo’at was standing by the firepit. “The great mother has guided you to this day,” she began, blessing each of them in turn. “For after today you will no longer be mere children. Today you will perform Iknimaya and become ikran makto!” she stated, pausing slightly when mentioning children given the age of most of the group. Tsu’tey nodded for her to continue, it was important that Norm and Ka'leng to hear it.

“Now your marks,” Neytiri said, picking up a shell filled with gold paint.

“Marks?” Norm asked as Tsu’tey took the bowl.

“A statement that you are undergoing Iknimaya,” Tsu’tey explained as he dipped his finger in the pain. “It is considered good luck if your teacher does it for you.” He added, awaiting Norm’s consent.

“Sure,” Norm said after a moment _ . _ Tsu’tey slowly applied the mark to Norm’s forehead while Jake did the same to the others of the group.

“Don’t fidget, you’ll spoil it.” He said as Norm moved slightly.

“Sorry.” Finally Norm’s mark was finally applied. “Are you getting one?” he asked as Tsu’tey put the shell down.

“I have no teacher,” Tsu’tey pointed out. “It does not matter, I have already undergone Iknimaya.”

“Well if you said its good luck, I could do it,” Norm said.

“It might be inappropriate, but I suppose it isn’t a problem.” Tsu’tey started but relented. Norm gingerly picked up the shell and started applying the mark. “How is it?” he asked Jake.

“Not too bad,” Jake said. “Just need to smooth it out.” He added reaching up to wipe a bit of runoff away.

“Sorry, I was never good at painting.” Norm admitted.

“We will have to fix that. Application of war paint is an important art to learn.” Tsu’tey said.

“Great, so I’m learning face painting now,” Norm muttered.

“Not just face painting. You will learn to paint the whole body. Now be quiet.” Tsu’tey said.

Jake stood in front of the group. In full headdress and shawl he really was their Olo'eyktan, even if some did not agree. “You are now ready! Now leave this place achieve Iknimaya or never return!” he said. As one the group left the chamber and mounted their pa’li.

“Was he being literal about never returning?” Norm asked as they thundered away from hometree.

“No one has ever failed their Iknimaya,” Tsu’tey reassured. Of course some have died in the attempt.

The clatter of rocks ahead of them snapped Tsu’tey back to reality. A nearby island had violently collided with another, sending debris crashing down on the ground far below them. “Not keeping focused?” Norm asked, noticing Tsu’tey’s reaction.

“Of course not,” Tsu’tey lied, saving face. “Simply did not expect it to produce so much debris.”

“If you say so,” Norm replied as they reached their destination.

Ayawa Ikran stretched into the skies above them as they dismounted their pa’li, with luck they would not need them again. “We’re going to climb that?” Norm asked in awe of the sight.

“Yes. And be warned, this is the easy part.” Tsu’tey said. He turned to to the group. “We will succeed. I have faith in you. Now climb!” he added grasping the vines that covered the stairway into the sky.

The climb was quick and Norm was able to keep up. He was more surprised that Tìyora' was practically neck and neck to him by the time he reached the top. Tsu’tey had been surprised that Tìyora' was here. He had been a sickly child growing up, often needing tending to by Mo’at. Everyone had expected him to die at some point, but he had survived. He had been in training as a weaver and cook. When Tsu’tey had returned he found him training to be a warrior with Ka'ani and Maru. Apparently he had taken up a bow in the battle and proven himself like Norm. It was incredible how the war had changed people.

As the floating island shifted under their weight Tsu’tey looked up at the sky island as it rotated towards them. They had timed it perfectly, not a long wait on the unstable rock. “Is this the hard part?” Norm asked, looking at the hanging vines moving towards them.

“One of them. You think you can make this?” Tsu’tey replied, he hadn’t pushed Norm this far on heights before.

“Just don’t remind me what I’m doing...” Norm replied, avoiding looking down as vines got closer.

“Just make sure you catch it,” Tsu’tey replied and jumped, grabbed the first vine that came along.

He easily caught the vine and started pulling himself up and turned to watch the rest of them. The seasoned hunters made the jump fine. Tìyora' caught his vine but nearly fell before recovering himself. Tsu’tey nearly winced. This was so often where warriors failed. At least their bodies were never found. The last to go was Norm. He seemed to freeze again, unable to bring himself to make the jump. Tsu’tey thought he was about to be left behind by the rotating rock when he made the jump, grabbing the last vine. The rock they had jumped from sailing off into the distance. With the group all present, Tsu’tey began climbing his own vine.

They were nearly at the top of the vine when Tsu’tey heard rocks shifting above them. Norm let out a scream. Tsu’tey spun around to see Norm’s vine visibly slip. He cursed. No warrior had ever used the vine Norm had climbed and it was clearly failing under his weight. “Jump!” he said as the vine shifted again. Norm’s terrified face looked up at him. “Jump or you’re dead!”

With nothing to support himself, Norm jumped into space just as the vine gave way, disappearing towards the ground below. For a second it looked like Norm had jumped into nothing. Then he caught one of the blowing vines from the rock. He struggled to secure his grip, dangling down over the void. Finally he was able to stabilise himself and he just hung there looking down at the land below. “Are you alright?” Tsu’tey called out to him.

“I’m still here, aren’t I?” Norm said between great breaths of air.

Tsu’tey hauled himself onto the floating island and moved over to where Norm was pulling himself up. “This is certainly proving an eventful Iknimaya.” he said.

“I suppose so,” Norm said laughing and suddenly grabbed Tsu’tey. “Don’t make me do that again.” he whispered, hugging Tsu’tey tightly.

“Do not worry, there is no more climbing.” Tsu’tey said reassuringly. Clearly Norm needed some comforting after his near death experience. After a few seconds Norm broke the hug and stepped back embarrassed.

“Sorry... I just needed that.” he muttered.

“It is no problem. I would probably do the same.” Tsu’tey replied. While a leader needed to be stoic, there was limits. After the destruction of hometree he had secretly cried on Neytiri’s shoulder.

There was only the last part of the journey left, crossing the giant root bridge to the ikran rookery. They ran across the top root, jumping from section to section to keep up the speed. Suddenly, Norm misguided the jump and came down hard. He wobbled, off balance. He looked down to straighten his feet and saw the ground far below. “Oh god!” he yelled.

“Just concentrate on me!” Tsu’tey said seeing the danger and stopping. Norm had been dealing with the height so well until now.

“I’m fine,” Norm said, righting himself and carrying on like nothing had happened.

“I thought you had a problem with heights?” he asked as they kept on moving.

“So did I,” Norm replied clearly just as puzzled.

“Clearly my training has been a success.” Tsu’tey said.

Finally they climbed up the rocky passage and took in the sight of the rookery. Spread across several interconnected floating islands, the ikran nests dotted the cliff faces while the beasts covered all remaining surfaces. Occasionally one would launch itself into space only to circle over the site and land again. “Incredible...” Norm muttered, taking in the view. “Jake had described it and we had long range footage but it doesn’t really give it justice.”

“It is one of Eywa’s gifts to us,” Tsu’tey admitted looking over the vista. “But a dangerous one.” he added as a nearby ikran hissed at the interlopers.

“Tìyora', you go first.” Tsu’tey ordered, best to get the first timer out of the way while letting Norm observer the processes. Tìyora' stepped forward nervously. “You will do fine, Tìyora'.” Tsu’tey added reassuringly. Tìyora' advanced into the resting ikrans, unfurling his bola to catch his ikran. Tu’tey had expected him to go for one of the smaller, more easily tamed ikran but instead Tìyora' was drawn to the largest ikran on the cliff side, a massive brown specimen.

“Go for it Tìyora'!” one of the hunters called out. Tsu’tey gave an encouraging cry. He is going to get himself killed, he thought.

Tìyora' began spinning his bola as his chosen ikran hissed at him. Tìyora' hissed back in defiance. The ikran jumped forward to strike. Tìyora' jumped to the side, just missing its razor sharp fangs, wrapping the bola around its jaw. Leaping onto its back Tìyora' tried to control the animal as it fought him, bucking and shaking its head wildly. Finally he was able to wrestle its head still long enough to connect their tswins together.

Instantly the ikran stopped its struggle and lay there while Tìyora' whispered soothing words into its ear. “A near perfect bonding,” Tsu’tey commented to the stunned Norm. “Now fly!” he called out to Tìyora'.

“See you in the sky!” Tìyora' replied. After a moment of preparation and with a single mental command his ikran bolted forward, off the cliff edge and into the clouds below them. Tìyora'’s whoop of success echoed through the sky.

“Should we wait for him to come back?” Norm asked as he watched Tìyora' disappear.

“No need. Let him have his fun. You can only learn to fly by yourself.” Tsu’tey said. He was in a hurry to complete Norm’s bonding so he could do his own. Watching Tìyora' had reminded him how much he had missed flying.

Norm stepped forward, holding his bola somewhat certainly. “So what should I be looking for?” he asked as a ikran screeched at him before scrambling away.

“Go with what your heart says,” Tsu’tey said, inching forward behind Norm. “And if they try to kill you, you’ve chosen well.”

“Great,” Norm replied and muttered something obscene under his breath. He advanced towards the nearest group of ikrans which shifted away from him.

“Don’t choose the first one you see,” Tsu’tey warned. Not only was it usually futile it also risked an ikran attacking him.

Norm shifted his attention towards a pair of purple ikran. Perhaps twins, both of them were fine specimens. They both screeched at him but did not flee. Appearing to settle on his choice Norm started swinging his bola. “A good choice. Now you must separate your target from the other.” Tsu’tey said, keeping close to Norm. Both were so good that he might try to bond with the other if they were still here after Norm.

Suddenly the two ikran snapped their heads to look intensely at Tsu’tey, then darting back to Norm. They shifted around, becoming increasingly agitated. “What’s wrong?” Norm asked, noticed the change. Tsu’tey stepped away from Norm and started shifting to get around the two ikran. One of their heads followed him before snapping back to Norm. The other kept his eye on Norm before shifting over to Tsu’tey.

“Shit!” Tsu’tey said, realising what was happening. “They both feel they should bond with both of us,” he said, scrambling to ready his own bola.

“Both of them? I thought I can only bond with one?” Norm said. Tsu’tey closed the distance to the ikran to the same as Norm.

“Correct, and one of them is for you,” he replied.

“How do we tell them apart?”

“I have no idea,” Tsu’tey admitted. Now he knew why the leader on a Iknimaya was already bonded, to avoid situations like this.

“So what do we do?” Norm asked, shifting around trying to see which ikran followed him the most. The results were inconclusive.

“We choose one and attempt to bond with it,” Tsu’tey decided. It would be messy and difficult for Norm without him to guide him but it was the only way.

“Which one should I go for?” Norm asked. The ikran hissed at them, becoming increasingly annoyed at their presence.

“Go for the one you think is best for you.”

“I’ll go for the one on the right,” Norm said, at least that meant they wouldn’t have to cross paths in their charge.

“When I give the word.” Tsu’tey said, stepping forward. The ikran tensed, knowing his was ready to strike.

“Now!” Tsu’tey shouted and charged forward. His target ikran snapped towards him. Tsu’tey dodged and was about to release his bola when another beak shot towards him. He just barely rolled away in time as the other ikran barrel towards him. Crashing into the other and giving him enough time to get back.

“What happened?” Norm said, picking up his fallen bola as the two ikran snapped at each other.

“We picked the wrong ones,” Tsu’tey replied, spinning up his bola again.

There was no time for a slow set up. Tsu’tey roared at his new target to get it’s attention as it finished squabbling with its brother. The ikran snapped its mouth towards him. Tsu’tey attacked, jumping forward he released the bola. Binding the ikran’s jaw, he leap onto its back. He struggled to control the beast as it tried to throw him off.

He glanced over to see that Norm had managed to wrap his bola around his catch and was scrambling to climb onto it. Finally, Norm was able to mount his ikran, it wasn’t giving up without a fight, thrashing around wildly. “Tame it!” Tsu’tey snapped, his own struggle taking almost all of his attention. He got the creatures head and neck in a lock as its wings swiped at him. Soon the beast would tire and he could bond with it. Norm tried to press his ikran’s head to the ground, but the beast was able to knock him away.

Disaster stuck. Free for a second Norm’s ikran scrapped its head against the ground. Even as Norm made to jump back on again the bola, only loosely wrapped came away, letting the beast’s jaw free. Norm screamed as the ikran jabbed at him as he dived onto its back. Giving up on trying to restrain the ikran, Norm reached for it’s tswin. Angry, the ikran lurched over the cliff edge, taking Norm with it into the clouds below.

“Norm!” Tsu’tey cried out in shock. The ikran struggled underneath him. This was no time to be gentle. He pushed the ikran’s head to the ground with a thud. He punched it in anger and connected their tswin together.

For a moment, both of them were still as Tsu’tey took in the link, the energy, the fire of the ikran. “Sorry for earlier,” he muttered, letting go of the ikran’s head and patting it. The ikran looked around, he could feel the thirst for flight. “You want to fly? Then fly!” he ordered. The ikran took off into the sky like a beauty. He should be savouring this moment, the first flight was always the best but he had to find Norm.

He dived through the clouds looking for any sign of Norm. Nothing. He levelled out above the treetops and circled around looking for any fresh holes in the canopy. A fruitless task he realised, gaining height. Norm was dead he realised. Either he’d fallen off the ikran or it had eaten him. I mean he wasn’t really dead, he reminded himself. It was only his dreamwalker body that had died, but still it was a great loss to him. He circled around the rookery, trying to keep the emotions from overwhelming him. It was the first time he had lost a student. His standing in the clan would take a hit and Tyso would push to demote him.

He felt the shadow on his neck and dived from the possible threat. If it was a toruk he was dead. He looked up to see a purple ikran shooting overhead as he dived away. He pulled up as the ikran circled around to pass him again. He heard the cry of victory as the ikran and rider shot past and saw the familiar face of the rider. Norm was alive!

He let Norm form up beside him, seeing the triumph on Norm’s face. Tsu’tey let out a cry of victory. Any greater level of communication was impossible. Norm replied with a whoop of his own, then stopped to struggle as his ikran resisted his mental orders for a second. I’ll have to teach him to direct the bond properly Tsu’tey noted as they flew.

Signalling to Norm to follow him, Tsu’tey put them though some basic manoeuvres. Nothing too extreme, they were clinging by their legs alone without a proper saddle after all. Simply slaloming though some floating islands with some tight turns and sharp dives. While he was certain he heard some screams of terror as Norm followed him, he was able to keep up with him.

Satisfied that Norm could fly, Tsu’tey spied a suitable landing spot. As they touched down Norm dismounted his ikran quickly, clearly thankful to be back on solid, if floating ground. “I thought you were dead!” Tsu’tey said, hugging Norm as his leapt from his mount.

“I’m sorry!” Norm tried to explain getting go of his grip. “Just it took me a while to work out how to get him to turn around,” he gestured to the ikran behind him.

“But you were able to bound with him in flight! Do you know how difficult that is to do?” Tsu’tey congratulated him. There were few songs of people, outside of the toruk makto successfully bonding in flight. “And on top of a duel bonding. This is the stuff that songs are made of. How was it for you?”

“I was terrified out of my wits and thought I was going to lose this body again,” Norm admitted. “I kept trying to bond with him as we fell but when I did man, that was an experience. I thought bonding with a pa’li was something, this is something else.” Norm struggled to find the right words. “The intensity, with a pa’li I can feel its movements but with him I can feel his thoughts.”

“The bond between an ikran and his rider is special,” Tsu’tey admitted, looking at the two ikran waiting on the cliff side, clearly wanting to be up in the sky again. “That is why while a pa’li will have many riders, a ikran will only ever have one.”

“I certainly won’t be ignoring him,” Norm noted, moving over to his ikran who offered his tswin to Norm. Now that he was bonded, Tsu’tey would see all the subtle differences between his and Norm’s. “How do I, you know, pet him?” Norm asked, pausing for a second.

“From the front?” Rub his vane,” Tsu’tey explained, showing Norm how to do it with his own. As Norm slightly nervously followed his example, his ikran made a series of mellow hisses. “See, he liked that.” Tsu’tey said.

The two ikran looked up suddenly as another one swooped past them. Tsu’tey looked up at the black beast and its rider as another two followed it. “Looks like the rest of them have found us,” he said. It was Tìyora' and the other hunters. “We should get back to the clan and show off our triumph.”

“I suppose we should,” Norm said, mounting is Ikran. “Mind if we swing travel back via Hell’s Gate? I’m pretty sure the rest of the team would like to see him,” he patted the back of his ikran’s head.

“I don’t see why not.” Tsu’tey said. It would mean backtracking a bit but it would give them more flight time. They flapped into the air and flew off into the sky.

The journey to Hell’s Gate went smoothly, even if Tsu’tey did waste some time detouring around some good training runs through a set of tight valleys. While Norm was able to follow him Tìyora' had pulled up, turns out his ikran was actually too big to fit through the entrance. Even for Tsu’tey the canyon seemed tighter than he remembered. Perhaps the islands had drifted closer together. He certainly heard Norm’s whelp was he exited the passage.

After that they left the mountains and headed towards the sky people base. Flying was different away from the floating islands, less dodging around obstacles watching for threats and more about retaining energy with shallow dives and rapid climbs. Still, soon the smoke of the base was visible ahead of them. Despite them driving the majority of the sky people away, the plume of smoke hadn’t been reduced much. No wonder people like Tyso still looked at those that remained with suspicion, Tsu’tey noted as they circled over the base. He signalled the group to follow him. They would dive and fly over the base to let them know who they were. Then they would circle back around and land. They began their dive, spread out in formation, Tsu’tey gave an encouraging whoop. They looked like a proper group of ikran maktos.

Suddenly the sound of roaring air was split by the crack of gunfire. A stream of glowing lines shot past them into the clouds. The skypeople base was firing at them. “Break! Break!” Tsu’tey said, scrambling to signal for them to break formation. The group disintegrated into individuals flapping in all directions to dodge any incoming bullets. While the sky people used the glowing visible kind they also used invisible ones.

Tsu’tey looked over his shoulder to see Norm following him as they dived close to the tree tops to escape. Practically skimming the canopy Tsu’tey came in for a hard landing on a kelutral tree, the same one Norm had gotten themselves stuck on. Norm came in a well, trusting in his ikran to do the landing. “What in Ewya’s name happened?” Tsu’tey said getting sharp breaths. “Why are you shooting at us?”

“I don’t know! They should know we’re friendly,” Norm said, patting himself looking for something. Suddenly he started laughing.

“What’s so funny?” Tsu’tey said, confused at Norm’s reaction.

“I forgot the bloody dog tag,” Norm said, talking about the device that he had forced Tsu’tey to wear when he was a guest at the base. “Must have forgotten about it when I stopped wearing my human clothes. No wonder they didn’t know who we were. Must have thought we were going to attack.”

“Perhaps you are becoming a bit too much one of the people,” Tsu’tey said. You could never not be one of the people when you could see, but perhaps Norm did need to remember his skypeople nature sometimes.

“Yeah, perhaps I am. Should we go find the others?” Norm replied.

“If they’re sensible they’ll head to hometree, but we can look for them.” Tsu’tey said, pushing his ikran into the sky.

Thankfully it turned out that no one had crashed or been killed, and by the time they were coming in to land at hometree they had been rejoined by Tìyora' and the others. A great cheer went up from the small crowd had developed as they finished climbing down hometree. Norm smiled, pleased to be getting some acceptance at last. Tyso and his group stood some way off, looking over the situation. Jake stepped forward beaming. “You are have returned to us! No longer mere children but ikran maktos, the protectors of the clan!” Jake said to them and the assembled tribe. “Soon you will undergo your final trial and be true members of the clan.” he continued, focusing on Norm and Tìyora'.

“Thank you, my Olo'eyktan.” Tìyora' said, a nervous teenager again.

“Don’t mention it, kid. You did well.” Jake replied. He turned to face the clan. “We will celebrate. There will be a great hunt and a great feast,” he degreed, causing another cheer from the clan. Tsu’tey smiled, it wasn’t entirely traditional to organise a feast soon after Iknimaya but it was something to bring the clan together. Something they badly needed.

“I know there are some of you who doubt Norm’s ability to become one of the people,” Tsu’tey said stepping forward, looking at Tyso and his group. “But today I saw him bond with his ikran in free fall. How many Na’vi warriors can boast that?” He felt the clan’s looks at Norm subtly shift.

“He is not one of the people yet,” Tyso warned, clearly bitter at Norm passing his Iknimaya. “He must still undergo a dreamhunt.”

“And he shall, in time. It is up to Mo’at and Norm to decide.” Jake said, cutting Tyso down to size.

“We will see what Eywa truly thinks of him,” Tyso muttered and stormed away, though a number of his group stayed behind.

As the crowd broke up Jake approached Norm and Tsu’tey. “So I understand your Iknimaya was a bit eventful.” he said.

“That’s an understatement. I’ve nearly fallen to my death, I’ve been attack by an ikran and then bonded with it while falling off a cliff.” Norm said recounting the events that had transpired.

“Impressive,” Jake said after Norm had finished. “I thought my one was rough. Still, you pulled through.”

“If you told me a few months ago I would be doing that I wouldn’t have believed you,” Norm admitted. “Anyway, nice speech, did you create it yourself?”

“God no,” Jake admitted and leaned in a bit. “I just repeated what Eytukan said last time. Neytiri and Mo’at fills me in on what to say before any major. If I knew this job involved so much ceremony I would never have agreed to it.”

“Those ceremonies are vital to the clan and our connection to Eywa,” Tsu’tey said.

“It was only an expression. I’m loving the job.” Jake explained.

“I’ll see you around,” Jake said walking away from the two and going over to Tìyora'. Tsu’tey watched Jake congratulate Tìyora'. Whatever negatives he could say about Jake, and there were many, he did seem to try and talk with everyone in the clan. While Eytukan had been a fine Olo'eyktan, he had often been distant from day to day operations, delegating much authority to people like Tsu’tey. Still, time will tell if it was a better leadership style.

“So what do we do now?” Norm asked.

“I suppose I should teach you how to care for your ikran,” Tsu’tey said looking away from Jake. “But first I’ve got something for you.”

“So... what is it?” Norm asked as they climbed back up the tree.

“A surprise, let me get it.” Tsu’tey said, pausing on the hammock level.

After disappearing for a second he reappeared with a bundle in his hands. “Here you go.” He said, offering it to Norm. He unwrapped the covering and looked at the contents.

“It's a belongings rack,” he said, studying the object.

“I thought it would be a good gift for passing your Iknimaya, you are collecting quite a lot of stuff and a rack makes it easier to manage.” Tsu’tey said, pointing to the pile of stuff around Norm’s old skypeople bag at the head of his hammock.

“This must have taken you some time,” Norm said, trying to hang the rack up and failing.

“I had some spare materials while making the bow and had time between stages.” Tsu’tey lied. While he had been able to use some of his bow materials it had meant a lot of extra foraging. Still, it looked like Norm appreciated the gesture. “This is how you hang it,” he added, reaching over to hang it correctly.

“Thanks, I appreciate the present,” Norm said. He fished out the dog tag from his bag and hung it on the rack. “Now I won’t forget about it.” he muttered, looking at Tsu’tey in an odd way.

He looked away and started pulling a radio out of his backpack. “Suppose I better call up base and let them know what happened.” he said, fiddling with the device.

“Yes, we need to tell them we were not hostile.” Tsu’tey said. He was sure Tyso would find out about it and be mad so best to get a defence ready now. They walked up to the top of the tree where the ikran nested so Norm could get a better signal.

“This is Norm calling Control, over. I repeat this is Norm calling Control-” Norm spoke into the radio once he had a signal.

“This is Control, we hear you Norm,” said Metzger’s voice over the machine. “I take it you’re now flying a banshee?”

“No thanks to you shooting at us when we tried to visit.” Norm replied.

“So that was you. Looks like someone forgot their dog tag.”

“I admit I forgot it.” Norm patted his chest, then realised he’d left in on his new rack. “But you didn’t have to shoot at us.”

“Don’t blame me. One of my men made the call. Anyway, we do have to protect the base and we can’t tell some ikran diving on us from some uninvited guests or a raiding party by some renegades. I remember how Grace’s school got shot up,” Metzger said. Tsu’tey remembered the death of Sylwanin. “You’re lucky we only fired a warning shot. Nobody got hurt? You scattered like crazy.” he added.

“Thankfully not, we all pulled through fine. How did Max take it?” Norm asked.

“He’s hopping mad. There is a council meeting tabled for when your out of the link. What’s the fallout at your end?”

“Minor so far, but I bet you’ve just turned a bunch of the clan against you still being here.” Norm admitted.

“I see. Well see what you can do to patch things up. Oh, by the way, once you’re off the link there’s an update on our little problem. Control out.” Metzger said, terminating the connection.

“What problem?” Tsu’tey asked, having listened to most of the conversation.

“Oh nothing, just base stuff,” Norm said, putting the radio down. “You said you were going to teach me how to care for my ikran?” he continued, subtly changing the subject. Putting the question away, Tsu’tey got on with showing him the best way to clean, dress and feed an ikran. They also started producing the harnesses for their new mounts.


	6. Chapter 6

Jake and Tsu’tey were planning the hunt the next morning. This was the first time they had hunted talioang in their new territory. While their scouts had already spotted a suitable herd, Tsu’tey wanted more time to scout the route they would try to herd them along, a lot could go wrong with a hunt if you didn’t know the territory. Jake was all for rushing in to complete his promise to the clan. Tsu’tey was urging him to reconsider when Norm walked up. “You’re up late Norm,” Jake commented.

“Yeah, early meeting that dragged on,” Norm explained. “I need to talk to Jake,” he added, turning to Norm.

“That is fine I think we are in agreement,” Tsu’tey replied, giving up on convincing Jake for the moment.

“I mean alone, in private,” Norm said.

“Why?” Tsu’tey asked, a olo'eyktan always did business in the open for the whole clan to hear.

“It’s human stuff,” Norm tried to explain, but it was clear he was holding something back.

“Fine.” Tsu’tey watched as Norm spoke to Jake in whispered tones.

“Excuse us,” Ja _ k _ e said and both of them disappear into one of the secondary chambers, pulling a cover across the entrance. Most puzzling. Tsu’tey knew they wanted to discuss something in private but what if it was important? What if Norm wanted to end his training when he was so close. What if the humans were returning? Tsu’tey sucked his lips in and walked to one of the other secondary chambers.

Tsu’tey had only spent so much time exploring the new hometree but he knew that their interior structures were interlinked with holes and voids, most too small to navigate by even a child. He felt around the surface of the chamber closest to the one Jake and Norm were in. If he was lucky there might be one that he could catch some of their conversation. The slight rumble of voices made his ears prick up. A crevice up high in the roof. Wedging himself up and straining to hear Tsu’tey was able to finally heard Jake and Norm talking.

“And their demand is still the same?” Jake was asking.

“Yeah” Norm replied. “They also added that they know we’re reading them. Apparently the comms sys _ t _ em automatically sends a received confirmation to them.”

“Another thing Metzger didn’t tell us about. What is his reaction?”

“He’s being coy about the issue. But we’re going to have to reply at some point.”

“Tell them to get stuffed.”

“We can do that but you know this isn’t going to go away. They are still coming.” Who is coming? Tsu’tey thought, more sky people from their nightmare world?

“I know, but this is not what I need right now. We’ve got enough enemies in the clan without this.”

“Yeah I know but we are going to have to do something soon,” Norm explained. “There is something else,” he added after a second. “It's about Tsu’tey.”

Tsu’tey leaned closer to the hole in this statement. “What the issue?” Jake asked. “I know he has been pushing you hard but you’re nearly one of the clan now.”

“It's not that,” Norm replied sounding as if he was composing himself. “It’s just that I think he fancies me.”

“What?!” both Jake and Tsu’tey asked. Tsu’tey pulled back hearing they’d hear.

“Have you seen the way he looks at me sometimes?” Norm continued clearly not hearing him.

“The na’vi are just more expressive.  _ W _ ant me to ask him to cut it off?” Jake asked, sounding unconvinced.

“For fucks sake we were holding hands at one point. And now he’s giving me gifts.”

“How did you react?”

“At the time with shock”  _ Nor _ m admitted. “But I suppose I should be pleased that a piece of physical perfection like Tsu’tey is hitting on me.”

“What? You mean you like that he’s hitting on you? I mean I thought you were straight, what with Trudy,” Jake said surprised.

“I’m bi dude,” Norm explained. “I don’t have to advertise it and frankly she was the one that hit on me.” What is a bi Tsu’tey thought, pondering what Norm had said. Had he really been looking at Norm as a potential mate. Sure Tsu’tey knew of those that decided to mate with those of the same gender but that had never been his fate.  _ He _ had been chosen to become olo'eyktan, mate with Neytiri and produce a new generation of leaders. That was what he had always wanted. Right?

“I’d admit I never imagined Tsu’tey being interested in men,” Jake admitted.

“I’m not sure he knows it himself,” Norm admitted. That was true, until now. “Perhaps repressed homosexuality or perhaps just bisexuality. The question is what do I do about it?”

“What do you think you should do?” Jake asked.

“My brain tells me to say tell him I’m not available. I started this training to learn about the clan, not to become part of it.”

“You will be expected to join the clan at the end of this and I think taking a mate isn’t optional” Jake warned.

“Yes I know you said that but you saw how much trouble you mating with Neytiri caused. Me falling in love with Tsu’tey is probably going to make things worse. Anyway, we're supposed to keep a professional detachment, something you never did.”

“Can you really say that after fighting for them?” Jake said accusingly.

“You’re right,” Norm sighed “But I can at least try to be professional.”

“So what does your heart say?” Jake added.

“I don’t know. Most of the time I’m worried about what will happen when I have to say no. But every now and again a bit of me says to go for it.” Norm admitted. Tsu’tey pulled back at this revelation. A part of Norm actually wanted him as a mate. This was unexpected.

“What are you doing up there Tsu’tey?” a voice suddenly asked. Tsu’tey looked down to see Ninat looking up at him.

“Thought I saw something moving up there,” he explained, dropping down. “Wanted to check it was not something dangerous.”

“I see,” Ninat said, clearly not convinced.

“Excuse me, I must prepare for the hunt. I wish you luck,” he muttered, leaving the chamber before Jake and Norm finished their talk. His brain kept replaying what he had overheard.

  
  


Tsu’tey looked over the heard of foraging talioang from an outcrop overlooking the river valley. The scouts had done well. Even from here he could see a number of good targets. “So what’s the plan?” Norm asked, standing next to him.

“Didn’t you listen to Jake explain it?” Tsu’tey asked. Jake had insisted he go over what everyone already knew what was to happen.

“Didn’t take it in,” Norm admitted.

“You need to listen better then. Ikran maktos will startle the herd causing it to stampede,” Tsu’tey pointed at the surrounding landscape. “Pa’li maktos will surround the herd to funnel them to stop them splitting up and pair off targets. Then the ikran maktos will make the kill.”

“You describe it well Tsu’tey. You should do the briefing next time,” Jake said coming up behind them.

“No, you are the leader of this hunt,” Tsu’tey replied.

“So are you two ready to get some air kill?” Jake asked.

“I will not be an ikan makto today” Tsu’tey said.

“You're not coming?” Norm asked, surprised.

“I will hunt as a pa’li makto. We are short on experienced riders,” Tsu’tey explained.

“Mind if I come, I think I’m a better rider,” Norm said.

“Better if you stay a ikran makto. It is easier to score a kill against a talioang from the air. There is a lot of prestige in claiming a kill on your first hunt,” Tsu’tey said. Plus its safer he thought.

“Don’t worry Norm, ride with him and you’ll do fine,” Jake said, pulling Norm away. “Get to your pa’li, we’re taking off in five.”

Tsu’tey had barely gotten to where the pa’li maktos were waiting when he heard Jake’s battlecry and the screech of ikrans taking flight. He sprinted to the group of spare pa’li they had bought to haul their catch. Snatching up a spear, Tsu’tey mounted the best pa’li of the group and trotted over to the waiting riders.

He looked up into the sky as the ikran’s formed up above them and dived upon the heard. Egged on by battlefield cries the formation swooped over the heard just above the heard heads. A flight of arrows rattling down on the backs of the talioang at the rear edge of the herd. He recognised the leader’s ikran as Jake’s with Norm’s following right behind him. The beasts screeched and began moving towards open ground, along the river valley. “That is our cue! Get keep them from splitting up!” Tsu’tey shouted. With a hunting cry he kicked his pa’li into a trot and raced into the open.

The group charged behind him, heading off a splinter herd that was heading to escape via a tributary while others did the same along the herd. Seeing the appearing riders the beasts turned to follow the rest of their friends along the valley. The escape attempt blocked the riders skirted around the edge of the herd, making sure the stampede didn’t lose momentum.

Tsu’tey turned his head to see the first of the ikran maktos coming in behind them. Now for our main job he thought and signalled to the nearest rider to follow him. He dived into the stampede, working to separate the charging animals into small subgroups. It made for an easier shot for the ikran and pa’li maktos. One of the talioang attempted to bat him away but he saw it coming, dancing out of the way as it swung.

He looked up as an ikran flew overhead. He recognised it’s rider as Jake. Passing slowly in front of the oncoming talioang Jake stood up to take his shot. His target screamed and tumbled as the arrow hit home. Tsu’tey smiled as he dodged the pileup of talioang struggling to get around the still breathing corpse. Whatever you said Jake was a natural ikran makto.

Other ikrans flew overhead, taking down several more talioang. They preferred older males for their kills. It had less impact on the herd and provided more meat and bone to the clan. Eventually Tsu’tey saw Norm coming in and waved his spear in encouragement. Norm seemed to wave back and him and made to take his shot. Instead of passing over his target’s front Norm attacked from the side. Tsu’tey saw Norm fire but the talioang did not fall. Tsu’tey cursed. Norm had missed the shot, or it had struck the armour around the air hole. Norm hadn’t had much experience at archery from an ikran after all.

Norm made to take another shot but he was too far away and pulled away from the stampede. A poor showing, Tsu’tey noted. He might have better luck on another attempt but it would still count against him. He hefted his spear. He would have to correct that.

He pulled alongside a nearby talioang, a great bull several seasons past its prime and pulled back his spear. For a second he held his breath, _t_rying to get both his and the pa’li’s movement in sync with the moving beast. Then he threw the spear. The talioang went down. The spear sticking out of its air hole and its lungs punctured. Tsu’tey punched the air in victory even as he dodged out of the way. Several other riders cheered his success. Talioang kills from pa’li back were very difficult to pull off compared to doing it from an ikran. Still he did enjoy setting himself a challenge. Then again it did mean he was out of the hunt apart from herding the talioang.

The hunt claimed a few more targets until Tsu’tey saw Jake’s ikran fly over the stampede waggling his wings. Tsu’tey recognised the signal saying that the hunt was over. A good thing too as the landscape they were riding though was changing and not too his liking. The surrounding jungle had been replaced by rocky outcrops that reduced the pa’li riders options to pull away. Tsu’tey pushed his pa’li to ride faster, passing each of the other riders on his flank, making sure they were able to pull away from the stampede and regroup. Just as Tsu’tey was watching the last rider get away the river valley took a sharp turn. As he took the turn Tsu’tey saw that the rocky outcrops became full blown cliffs, running into a tight valley. He tried to turn into the last burst of green he could see but it was too late. The gap past him by and he was into the cliffs. He was trapped.

He pushed on, keeping pace with the herd. This was manageable, all he had to do was ride out the valley and get out when they broke into open country. The stampede would die out when the talioang realised they were not being pursued further. The valley was getting narrower, the talioang bunching tighter together. The animal next to him screeched at him. Tsu’tey moved away before it swung at him, pushing hard against the rock face. He felt his pa’li’s fear rising at the worsening situation. He calmed him mentally. They would get through this.

There was an almighty crash up ahead as a talioang, perhaps wounded by a poorly aimed shot or even just slipped on a stone, hit the ground hard. Seconds later another crashing into it, setting off a chain reaction of collisions as the herd struggled to dodge the carnage. Tsu’tey cursed, the crush totally blocked his path and the herd left no space for him. He only had seconds before he was crushed. He looked up at the cliff. Perhaps if he could jump up and scale the cliff side or at least hold on until it was over.

He jumped up to stand on the pa’li’s back but as he did so he broke the link. Without his guidance the pa’li started panicking and bucked. Tsu’tey felt himself starting to go over. He hoped it would be a quick death,

Suddenly he was yanked upwards, sharp claws gripping under his arms. A second later his pa’li was crushed under a talioang. He looked up to see an ikan flapping wildly to keep aloft with him under its legs. “Hold on both of you!” Norm said, leaning over the side. The ikran was just able to dump tsu’tey at the top of the cliff. It hissed in annoyance at Norm as they put down next to him. “Sorry! But I couldn’t leave him,” Norm said to the ikran as he dismounted. “Looks like it's me that saves you this time,” he added as he rushed to haul Tsu’tey up.

“I suppose that does make us even,” Tsu’tey admitted, still breathing heavily and looking over the pile of dead talioang.

“A bit of a mess,” Norm noted.

“We should have started the stampede further up river. We must learn for next time,” Tsu’tey noted dryly. “Though thank you for saving me,” he added.

“No problem, isn’t that what friends  _ f _ or?” Norm asked slapping Tsu’tey on the back. Tsu’tey winced at the slap, his back muscles still sore from where the ikran had hauled him.

“You are more than a friend. You are a brother of the hunter,” he declared. While Norm might not be a true member of the clan, yet he was a brother to him. A true friendship, forged in the glory of the hunt.

The main chamber of hometree boomed with the beat of the drums, strings and flutes as the party was in full swing. A great fire had been built at the base of the tree where a talioang torso was roasting. Tsu’tey looked around as yet another dance started. This was probably the first time he had seen the clan with so much energy, so much joy since the destruction of hometree, their old hometree he mentally corrected. No matter how much it irked him this was their home now. “So I was cut off with the talioang closing in when there was a crush,” he continued the story of how Norm had saved him to the group around him. While Norm hadn’t been able to secure a hunt, him saving Tsu’tey at risk to himself had earned him some respect in the clan. The only people that will looked down on him was Tyso’s group. Tsu’tey could see them sitting on the opposite side of the chamber, enjoying themselves.

“Sorry I took so long,” Norm said, appearing holding bowls of roasted talioang strips. “There was a queue.”

“You don’t need to wait like a child. Just get in there,” Tsu’tey said, taking a strip of meat and cramming it into his mouth.

“It's polite,” Norm muttered, taking his own piece.

“If you say so,” Tsu’tey said though a mouthful of meat. Most people would get out of his way due to his status. Tsu’tey ate and watched Norm as the other hunters asked for his version of saving Tsu’tey. Norm played modesty, brushing off the instance as saving a friend rather than some great feat. Tsu’tey liked that. Some warriors boasted of every success like they had become toruk makto.

There was a small applause when Tìyora' came by carrying a bunch of pods. Tsu’tey grabbed a pair and handed one of them to Norm. “Alcohol. It will help you get into the mood,” he said, taking a sip. The taste was slightly different from last time. Then again this would be the first batch produced at the new hometree and the vegetation around here was subtly different.

“I know what a beer is,” Norm said taking a glug. He spat it out violently. “God, no wonder Grace warned me about this stuff,” he coughed.

“You just need to get used to it,” Tsu’tey suggested and sipped his own.

Several pods later Norm was starting to actually enjoy the drink. “Can you take it all in one shot?” Tsu’tey asked as another set of pods arrived.

“Can you?” Norm countered. Tsu’tey raised an eyebrow.

“Shall we see?” he said and picked up two of the pods. The group began a low chant as Norm took one of them and prepared himself. He gave Norm a look and both of them started drinking.

“Tsu’tey! Tsu’tey” the group chanted as he drank. However Norm was able to keep up so much that some people started chanting “Norm! Norm!” as well. After what seemed like an age Tsu’tey hit the bottom and gasped, holding up his pod in triumph.

“Come on, you’re was smaller,” Norm said finishing his own as the group cheered Tsu’tey.

“Still you were able to finish it,” Tsu’tey said in consolation.

Ninat came up to Norm as the clan was preparing for another. “You must dance,” she said. Tsu’tey smiled, Norm was proving popular tonight. Several women can come up asking for his hand in a dance. “I’ve had too much to drink,” Norm replied, rebuffing her.

“Nonsense,” Tsu’tey said, pushing Norm up. “A warrior can dance no matter what condition he’s in. Plus you have not danced all night.”

“Fine but you’re suffering with me,” Norm replied, grabbing Tsu’tey’s hand to pull him behind him. Going with the flow Tsu’tey noticed several of Tyso’s group joining the dance. As they got in line facing a partner Tsu’tey found himself standing in front of Atan.

“Tsu’tey,” Atan muttered clearly surprised. Clearly someone had been expecting more females in the dance. Norm looked over at them.

“If it’s uncomfortable Atan we can swap for the first dance? You don’t mind Ninat?” he suggested, turning to ask Ninat.

“I suppose not,” Ninat responded, somewhat annoyed at not dancing with Norm.

“Good, everyone’s happy,” Norm said as he and Atan changed places just as the dance started. “Plus I’m afraid you are going to have to show me how to do these again,” he said to Tsu’tey as they started dancing.

As they danced, Tsu’tey kept thinking about what Norm had said before the hunt. Did he really fancy him? They were close, that was true but they were teacher and student, fellow warriors, brothers of the hunt, friends. Perhaps he had grown a bit too personal with Norm and he had misinterpreted things. He had no interest in him as a potential mate right? He had been raised to produce the next generation of leadership for the clan. This was not his path.

Norm was a friend he knew. Too many na’vi had been put off by his status in the clan to talk straight with him, Norm while he was his student, still made small talk. While so much of it had been pointless Tsu’tey had realised how much he had missed that without Sylwanin and then Neytiri. Yet at the same time there was something else that drew him to Norm. He had a certain energy about him. That relentless desire to learn and understand had proved enjoyable to indulge. Sure, at times he was a bad student like now as Tsu’tey guided him through the current dance, but when he succeeded Tsu’tey had been happy that he’d triumphed.

There was his physical form as well. While Tsu’tey had always looked down on the unnatural faces of the dreamwalkers the more he looked at Norm’s face the more he appreciated the subtle simplicity, the alien features gave him a unique quality. He looked down at the rest of Norm as they pounded to the beat. His chest heaving as he breathed, the sweat on his muscles. He watched to touch it. Norm’s hand touched him as he reached forward.

“Problem?” he asked looking at him, puzzled as they fell out of sync with the dance.

“Nothing. Just got distracted and lost my place,” Tsu’tey said, shifting them back into the dance. He’d let himself lose control. The only time he’d ever really felt like this was with Sylwanin.

Suddenly as the dance was coming to the end Norm broke from the dance, shaking his hips and swinging his arms side to side. “What are you doing?” Tsu’tey asked as heads turned towards them.

“Oh sorry,” Norm said, stopping his movements and looking embarrassed. “Forgot where I was and the music reminded me of an old song I used to dance to.”

“You used to dance like that?” Jake called out from his seat. “That style went out of fashion in the 20’s.” Norm shrugged.

“My uni had a big retro scene. Who knows back on earth it's probably fashionable again.”

As they left the dance floor Norm made to leave the tree. “Going somewhere?” Tsu’tey asked, touching his arm.

“Just want to take a leak,” he replied. Tsu’tey was confused for a moment before he realised Norm meant going to have a piss.

“I need to go as well,” he said. Norm looked at him oddly as they left the tree.

They walked through the jungle taking in the night time bioluminescence until Norm found a tree to use. Tsu’tey looked up to the sky as he relieved himself, watching the patterns of a ikranay passing overhead. “A wonderful night,” he commented.

“Certainly is,” Norm admitted looking around the glowing jungle. “Kind of spoils the mood that I’m pissing on it though.”

“Perhaps,” Tsu’tey said, laughing at the joke. “But look at you. How far you have come.”

“How do you mean?” Norm asked, fiddling with his loincloth.

“When you came here you were a dreamwalker, an outsider. Now you have a respected warrior of the clan. One of the people.”

“I am not one of you yet,” Norm pointed out as they started to walk. “Remember I’ve still got to finish that uniltaron.”

“Come on, a uniltaron isn’t that big a challenge,” Tsu’tey reassured him. While a uniltaron was an important part of their connection to Eywa he’d never heard of anyone dying from one. It was a simple induced trance produced by a kali'weya and eltungawng to transcend to a higher level of connection with Eywa. He had done it and survived, coming out of it knowing he was destined to be a leader, which had turned out true. Mo’at performed them regularly. “And once you’ve done that there is nothing stopping Jake making you formally one of the people.”

“I suppose so,” Norm said, grinning as he considered the point. They weren’t walking straight back to hometree, instead walking around it.

Might as well pop the question away from the clan, Tsu’tey thought. “So what will you do when you are one of the clans? Who will you take?” he asked, leaning in.

“I don’t not sure what you mean?” Norm replied.

“I’m talking about taking a mate,” Tsu’tey teased, perhaps it was the drink but he found it easier to talk about this. Norm laughed at the suggestion.

“I think we’re jumping the gun here,” he said.

“Come on. It is expected that once you become an adult in the clan you take a mate. Especially with our reduced number,” Tsu’tey pointed out.

“How can I take a mate? I’ll be split between my real body and this one. I can’t make that kind of commitment.”

“I assumed you would do what Jake did. Transfer your mind into that body.” Tsu’tey pointed at Norm.

“That’s a bit of a commitment,” Norm pointed out, somewhat concerned at the prospect.

“Come on, you agreeing to let me train you was a big commitment for both of us and look where that got us. Once you do it you will never look back. I mean which body would you like to be in?” Tsu’tey argued, showing off his own body in the bioluminescence. Compared to his real body the Norm that stood before him was holy.

“There is a difference,” Norm whispered.

“But think of all those women who want to me your mate,” Tsu’tey said, moving on before the conversation turned sour. “I mean you’ve got Ninat asking you for a dance.”

“She was just being polite,” Norm said, rejecting the suggestion.

“There is always Saeyla, she’s a good hunter,” Tsu’tey said, suggesting someone else. He felt he needed to build up to asking Norm if he was interested in him, for both of them.

Norm stopped suddenly in a clearing near hometree. “Look no offence, but I didn’t learn to be one of the clans just to transfer my mind into this body and have kids,” he explained. Tsu’tey smiled and mentally cursed. Clearly there would be no build up here.

“Well if that is your problem I do know someone interested that that will not be a problem,” he said. Now was the moment of truth.

“Who?” Norm asked clearly not taking the hint.

“Guess.” Tsu’tey rolled his eyes and moved forward to kiss Norm on the lips. He felt Norm gasp as he did so. A part of him expected him to pull away, reject him. That way he could purge these crazy emotions in his head. After a moment's hesitation Norm instead returned the kiss. Then we are really doing this? Was he really going to choose Norm as his mate. He kissed harder putting one hand on Norm’s neck while the other reached down to grasp his ass. Either way what the feeling was incredible.

Norm whelped as Tsu’tey tightened his grip on Norm’s buttock, breaking the kiss. “Tsu’tey! I’d never...” he said in shock.

“If you do not want this we can stop?” Tsu’tey said, withdrawing his hand. “I do not want to force you.” Norm looked at him, cheeks flushed.

“Sod it, I want more of this,” he admitted and kissed him again. Tsu’tey replied smiling. A wave of euphoria swept over him. Norm had said yes.

“I am happy to give,” he replied, slowly pushing Norm to the moss covered ground.

“We’re going all the way?” Norm asked, running his hands across Tsu’tey’s body.

“Not yet,” he replied. While he would not even think of performing tsaheylu so soon he certainly knew a few ways of producing pleasure. “But I think you will like this.” He ran his hand along Norm’s tail and rubbed its base. Norm writhed in pleasure. Tsu’tey smiled, he’d remembered Norm was sensitive there. As Norm attempted to roll on top of him, all Tsu’tey could think off as he felt Norm’s hand reach under his loincloth was this was the first time in years he was truly happy.

Tsu’tey awoke with a splitting headache. For a moment he lay where he was feeling the sticks pounding on his head before he opened his eyes. The criss-crossing hammocks of hometree stared down at him. He sighed. He had not spent the night making love to Norm. He’d just gotten drunk too much and imagined it in his sleep. Perhaps it was for the best. What would the clan think? Neytiri mating with Jake had been bad enough but that really would have taken the cake. He shifted over to suddenly staring into Norm’s unconscious face, his body pressed up again his.

Tsu’tey jerked back in shock. It had really happened. He really had made out with Norm, and now they were lying in a large hammock in hometree. He scrambled to get up and off the hammock. How much did the clan know? He’d hoped they’d been discreet when they had returned. The headache pounded on his skull was clouding his memory. What had happened after they started making out?

Jake suddenly appeared as he was climbing off the hammock. “I see you’re up at last,” he said.

“What happened?” Tsu’tey snapped out quickly.

“You and Norm got hammered last night,” Jake said pointing at Norm. “I felt it wasn’t safe for either of you to climb up to your normal spots so I let you crash here.”

“Thank you,” Tsu’tey muttered, adjusting his loincloth nervously he’d clearly been lucid enough to put it back on correctly. “How bad were we?”

“Pretty far gone. Still you seemed to be enjoying things,” Jake replied. Tsu’tey looked at him sharply. Did he know and was simply covering for them or had they really been that drunk? Jake betrayed no clue.

He turned to prod Norm’s avatar body but unsurprisingly it did not respond. “Give how late you got in I wouldn’t expect him to link up for hours,” Jake commented.

“Pity,” Tsu’tey commented, pulling back. “I remembered something I had to ask him.” He needed to speak to Norm, try to understand if he really did consider him a mate, or whether both of them really had been just drunk. Perhaps Norm was waking up thinking the same thing.

Still as Jake walked away and he looked down at Norm’s avatar all Tsu’tey wanted to do was wait next to it until Norm came. But he knew he could not do that. The clan needed him. He worked around hometree so he would find out as soon as possible if Norm was up. Thankfully there was plenty of work to do processing the talioang kills from the day before. Still after a morning of slicing chitinous armour plates off carcasses and cleaning bone when he returned to the sleeping area Norm still had not awoken.

“He’s still not awake?” Jake said when Tsu’tey told him.

“Could something have happened?” Tsu’tey suggested.

“Possible,” Jake admitted. “But they said nothing on our last radio check. Might be that he’s taking a break. He’s been linked every day for months.”

“Perhaps,” Tsu’tey said but fear was starting to build in the back of his mind.

It was almost evening and Norm still had not awoken. “I might as well call them,” Jake said when Tsu’tey came to him. “Grace always told us we must link at least once a day to eat and take a shit.” They went to where Jake had set up his sky people radio and computer. “Hello, this is Toruk Makto calling homebase, this is Toruk Makto calling homebase,” he said into the radio, wiping dust from the computer screen.

“Hello Jake, was expecting you to call at some point,” Norm’s voice came in after a while.

“Yes. We were calling to see why you haven’t linked up today. Tsu’tey was worried about you,” Jake said. Tsu’tey grimaced at Jake mentioning his name. If Norm had rejected him after sobering up.

“Look I’m not linking up any more,” Norm stated.

“Not using your avatar! Why?” Jake said in surprise. “Now Norm if this is about the uniltaron...”

“This isn’t just about the uniltaron,” Norm cut him off. “Look, I can’t explain this over the comms. If you want to know why you’re going to have to come here. I’ve got something to show you. Either way I’m not touching my avatar again.”

“What the hell’s got into him?,” Jake asked, cutting the link before Tsu’tey could even say anything. “Still we better get over there,” he said reading to the ikran rookery.

“I will come too,” Tsu’tey swung in behind. The darkness possibilities flashing before his mind’s eye.


	7. Chapter 7

Tsu’tey mind was racing as he and Jake flew across the jungle in the dying light towards the sky people base. He looked down at the jungle, growing dark as the sun, almost hidden behind the clouds began to set. He hated this time before the bioluminescence brought things to life. He knew this was his fault. Norm had probably been drunk when he gave into his moves and had been so traumatised when he sobered off he’d wanted nothing to do with him or his dream walker body. This was why he needed to speak to him. Now it was all going to be dragged out in front of Jake and the other sky people. He supposed at least it wasn’t happening in front of the clan. At least he could get to talk to him.

Finally the sky people base appeared below them and Jake took them into land. Thankfully no gun fire greeted them and their ikran’s touched down outside of their hangers, scrambling a bit on the concrete. Tsu’tey looked around at the base, the memories of his time recovering here flowing back. The grey featureless buildings, the harsh unnatural lighting. Looking back, training with Norm had been a welcome relief from the place.

A sky person figure walked out to meet them. “Hello Mr Sully. Welcome back to the base,” Metzger said, dressed in full armour, a weapon held in his relaxed hands. “Tsu’tey,” he nodded at Tsu’tey.

“A heavy loadout to be greeting friends,” Jake noted, an edge of hostility is voice.

“Sorry about the gun. Stingbat swarm got through a gap in the perimeter defences. We’ve been clearing them out all day,” Metzger said, defusing the situation.

“I thought you agreed you would turn off the perimeter defences,” Jake noted.

“If we do that the entire base will start falling apart,” Metzger pointed out. “Keeping things running as is, is hard enough.”

“Perhaps I can suggest a na’vi solution? Riti, sorry stingbats don’t like certain seed pods,” Jake suggested.

“We came to see Norm,” Tsu’tey cut in before they got totally bogged down.

“Oh yes, they’re in the hanger,” Metzger said pointing behind him. “If you can offer any assistance we’ll be happy to accept it,” he added to Jake.

Tsu’tey and Jake entered the hangar. Tsu’tey looked around, it could have been the one him and Norm had watched that film with the other sky people. They all looked rather the same though this one seemed to have more metal machines in it than he remembered. Under a spotlight Norm was leaning against a metal table with a screen behind him. Max was there too, sitting in front of a computer. Tsu’tey looked at Norm, he betrayed no fear or hostility towards Tsu’tey but behind his mask he looked tired. Great bags under his eyes and his body seemed reduced.

“You look like shit Norm,” Jake commented.

“Tell me about it,” Norm muttered. “It's all this time spent in my other body. Max keeps telling me to cut down on my link time.”

“You have been doing too much,” Max chimed in.

“Yeah but we both know it's hard to cut down once you’ve started training. Plus I’ve been up half the night.” Tsu’tey was puzzled by Norm’s actions. This wasn’t what he had expected.

“So what is this about? Why won’t you use your avatar?” Jake asked. Norm sighed.

“You better sit down, this is going to be complex,” he said gesturing to some crates. Both Tsu’tey and Jake simply squatted down onto the floor.

Norm just shrugged and signalled Max to flash up an image on the screen behind me. “You recognise this?” Norm asked. It showed a series of nut-like objects rendered in blues, yellows and oranges.

“Look like a brain scan,” Jake replied.

“Which is what?” Tsu’tey asked before he lost track of the conversation.

“Sorry,” Norm said, in his first interaction with Tsu’tey. “It's a kind of way of seeing which parts of your brain are active,” he explained.

“So this is a scan of your brain?” Jake asked.

“Actually it’s yours,” Max said. “This is a time compressed log of your brain activity while you were in the link.” The image started moving, different parts of the brain changing different colours. A second, differently shaped brain appeared next to the first, some of the activity being mirrored between them.

“You track all of this?” Jake asked in surprise.

“Everything that happens in the link gets logged. Most of the time it's just shunted into the archive without actually looking at it unless something goes wrong. It was only because Max was running an experiment that we found it,” Norm explained.

“Found what?” Jake said. Max and Norm looked at each other.

“Skip to the first event,” Norm said. Max clicked something and the image jumped.

“We think this is when you first linked with a pa’li judging by the timestamp and your video log,” Norm said to a sudden burst of activity in a part of the second brain which Tsu’tey realised must be the one in in Jake's current body. Tsu’tey watched as the entire pattern of the brain changed subtly. “Now look at your human mind,” Norm said, shining a red point on the screen with a handheld device as the screen repeated. In the other brain similar changes were exhibited.

“We’ve checked and this change remained after you terminated the bound” Max said, showing several other images with the same subtle effect highlighted.

“What are you saying?” Jake asked.

“What we’re saying Jake is that bounding to the pa’li altered your brain on a permanent level,” Norm stated.

“How is that even possible?” Jake asked.

“We don’t know. We’ve never seen anything like this before. The queue was never that high a research priority. Company always said it lacked commercial applications,” Max explained.

“But we’ve checked and this happened several times, when you first bounded with your ikran,” Norm said, bringing up another slightly stronger image. “It's really when you underwent the dream hunt and connected to the tree of voices,” he continued flashing up two more images, each with even more activity. The last one showed a massive jump in activity all across both brains.“Plus when you had a sex with Neytiri.”

“Hey!” Jake said, annoyed at this turn of events.

“Don’t worry,” Max said, smiling. “I’ve deleted the face you were making in the link bed.”

“Very funny. So what’s the problem here? I’ve clearly suffered no ill effects.” Jake pointed out. Yes what does this all mean, Tsu’tey thought, he might not understand a lot of this but he didn’t see what the issue was. As performing tsaheylu affected the ikran it was no surprise it affected the other.

Norm stepped forward carefully.“Jake after these events did you notice anything different? Did you notice any change in personality?” he asked.

“Not really,” Jake admitted shifting slightly. “I mean I’ll admit that I learned to see during this time but that’s different.”

“Is it?” Norm asked suddenly.

“What the fuck does that mean?” Jake said at the suggestion.

“I mean it's possible that the bound had some kind of effect on you,” Norm said.

“Bullshit. How can you claim that?” Jake asked.

“Because I’ve got these changes too,” Norm snapped, signalling to Max to bring up another set of images on the increasingly crowded screen. The brain structure and the patterns were different but the same subtle changes were highlighted for when Norm had bounded with a pa’li, an ikran and finally interacted with the tree of voices. “And I’ve experienced changes I can’t explain.”

“Like what?” Jake asked clearly not believing him.

“I was scared of animals when I came here,” Norm pointed out. “Never seen anything larger than a dog outside of a zoo. Now an ikran doesn’t even phase me.

“You just got used to them,” Jake said.

“Really when I first tried to hunt I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t kill like that up close. Within a few days including some time at a tree of voices I killed a viperwolf without hesitation,” Norm carried on.

“You were only protecting Atan,” Tsu’tey suggested.

“No, it was more than that,” Norm said, rejecting the suggestion. “It was something more, making that kill felt good, it felt right. That kind of thing doesn’t happen in a few days.”

“Did in basic training,” Jake muttered.

“I’ve seen Full Metal Jacket, and did enough time doing fire arm training with SecOps before I left earth. This was different,” Norm continued.

“I’m still not seeing your point. Sure you’ve found out you can cope with animals and hunting but that doesn’t mean there is something sinister about the link,” Jake said.

“Really? Then how do you explain my fear of heights?” Norm said.

“You’re scared of heights?”

“Well I used to be. So bad I could get vertigo from my apartment. Now I can jump between floating rocks over an abyss,” Norm replied. Tsu’tey thought back to how Norm had been when his training had started and how he performed during Iknimaya. While the change had been dramatic, many other warriors had undergone similar transformations in becoming adults.

“You are overreacting. You are just adjusting to learning to see,” he said trying to reassure Norm.

“Am I?” Norm asked, anger rising in his voice. “Is it normal to feel wrong in your own body? All the time I’m out of the link everything doesn’t feel right. The food tastes awful, the air is lifeless, even my clothes feel constrictive now.”

“Perhaps you do need a rest Norm,” Jake admitted, trying to calm things down. “I was feeling like you just before hometree got destroyed. That’s not a good space to be in. Plus you might be onto something about the fear of heights. Got any idea why this happened?”

“Only one,” Norm said. “That Eywa did this to us.”

“You mean a blessing?” Tsu’tey asked. The songs spoke of Eywa granting such events but he’d never met anyone who had seen it before.

“I’m not sure I’d call this a blessing. This wasn’t exactly voluntary.”

“You’re saying Eywa is brainwashing us?” Jake asked, jumping in before Tsu’tey could protest.

“No I’m not saying that,” Norm replied. “This might not be a deliberate action. I’m not even saying this was a conscious decision either. Perhaps when our brains interact with the bound it attempts to optimise it for communication. I did notice making a bound became smoother over time.”

“I noticed that too,” Jake said.

“Could be its trying to fit our brains into the minds it has already experienced. Bring us closer in line with an ideal template. It would go along with the collective memory theory.”

“Collective memory?” Tsu’tey asked.

“It's a theory we’ve put together to better understand Eywa,” Norm explained. “A collective of memories and brain patterns held within the neural network.”

“You talk of the great mother like she was a thing,” Tsu’tey said, perturbed by how Norm was describing Eywa.

“Look I know that Eywa is the great mother, guides everything, moves though everything. But at the same time I can rational her existence. The neutral network that Grace and others discovered, the memories from the tree of voices,” Norm explained, struggling to find the correct words. “It's just hard for me to worship something that I can explain away,” he added.

He does not truly see, Tsu’tey realised. Despite all he had learned under Tsu’tey’s tutelage his brain was still a sky person’s even if his heart was na’vi, and it was still what he listened too. “Is that why you fear the uniltaron? Do you fear it will challenge your view of her?” he asked.

“No it's not that,” Norm replied in annoyance. “It's just where does this end? What kind of person will I be like if I undergo it? Will I still be truly me?”

“You fear a loss of individuality,” Jake said, putting a word to what Norm was trying to bring across. “I can guarantee you that it doesn’t work like that.”

“No offence Jake, but the day after you were smashing up bulldozers and  _ d _ eclaring yourself Toruk Makto,” Norm pointed out, stunning Jake into silence. “And now Tsu’tey is suggesting I transfer myself fully into my Avatar body using that ceremony you went through,” he continued.

“If that’s what you truly want. I mean it worked with me” Jake pointed out.

“It didn’t work with Grace,” Norm countered. “Anyway I don’t want that. I don’t know what the hell I want. This was never supposed to go this far,” he added. Jake has no idea how far Tsu’tey thought.

“Look if you need time to think,” Jake said, uncertain.

_ “ _ Yes I think I do,” Norm stated firmly. “I need a rest at the very least. So until we can work out what this has truly done to me, I’m not linking with my avatar. Perhaps I am being paranoid but I need a few days to clear my head,” Norm said firmly.

“Which is going to make Jake’s job harder when he has to talk to the clan about the ship,” Metzger said.

“What ship?” Tsu’tey asked, turning around to look at Metzger who had been quickly looking over them all this time.

“Oh great! Thanks Metzger,” Norm said. Jake also looked annoyed.

“You mean you haven’t told him?” Metzger asked, nodding towards Tsu’tey.

“Told me what?” Tsu’tey asked.

Norm and Jake exchanged looks. “We would probably have to fill him in at some point,” Jake admitted.

“Fine,” Norm said and signalled to Max to bring up a new image. A bright spot of light in the night sky. “You know what this is?” Norm asked.

“Yes. It is the light from one of your spacecraft,” Tsu’tey replied. He didn’t truly understand how the sky people travelled between worlds but he had seen the flares of light that signalled the arrival or departure of these metal machines. Quickly they merged with the other stars and could not be seen any more. Thankfully this had been the final time that such machines besmirched the sky.

“Look again,” Max said and moved to a new picture. This was a zoomed in picture of the first, the light of the spacecraft filling most of the screen, with a smaller dot of light next to it.

“Another spacecraft,” Tsu’tey said, instantly realising what he was looking at.

“Correct. ISV Star of Commerce coming to the end of its deceleration burn,” Metzger said, moving to stand next to Norm.

“How could the sky people have reacted so fast?” Tsu’tey asked.

“They didn’t,” Norm explained. “These craft take years to get here. This thing was launched years before Jake and I even got here. Earth is a decade away from sending troops back here.”

“Still I do not see what the problem is? We fought to drive the sky people from our land. We cannot let them return,” Tsu’tey said forcefully. He knew no warrior would allow it after so much sacrifice. Norm looked at Jake awkwardly while Metzger remained impassive.

“It's not that simple,” Norm explained, having Max bring up a screen of text on the screen. Tsu’tey looked at the text struggling to read it. Dr Augustine had taught them to read but so many of the words were foreign to him. Seeing him struggling Max made the machine speak the words on the screen.

ISV Star of Commerce to RDA ESC 01: Requesting permission to unload passengers and cargo.

ISV Star of Commerce to RDA ESC 01: Requesting permission to unload passengers and cargo.

ISV Star of Commerce to RDA ESC 01: Repeating request to unload passengers and cargo.

ISV Star of Commerce to RDA ESC01: We repeat our message. We know you are receiving. Automated read notifications received.

RDA ESC01 to ISV Star of Commerce: Request denied. Go away.

ISV Star of Commerce to RDS ESC01: Unable to comply. Resupply and service required before return journey.

RDA ESC01 to ISV Star of Commerce: How long do you need?.

ISV Star of Commerce to RDS ESC01: Minimum three month resupply and service period required. Repeating request to unload passengers for required period.

RDA ESC01 to ISV Star of Commerce: We will consult with the na’vi

RDA ESC01 to ISV Star of Commerce: Negative. we cannot let you bring people down. Jake has confirmed that Na’vi will be hostile to such an action. Three months in orbit while passengers remain in cryo is considered acceptable.

ISV Star of Commerce to RDS ESC01: Unable to comply. Cryo system in need of shutdown and reset. Craft life support will not meet requirements. Termination of passengers authorised if solution not reached. Crew survival during return journey unlikely. Will you condemn 225 lives?

“What does termination mean?” Tsu’tey asked as the computer finished speaking.

“They mean kill the passengers,” Metzger stated bluntly. “The crew probably doesn’t have enough food to keep all of them alive during the trip either so half of them will probably be killed during the trip to let at least one team survive.”

“Why would they do that?” Tsu’tey said. While in times of crisis sacrifice was sometimes necessary this seemed extremely brutal.

“Space travel is done on a fine margin. The moment something like this happens they have few options,” Max explained.

“We all knew the risks. Terminations are usually under 5% these days anyway,” Metzger noted.

“I didn’t,” Jake said, somewhat concerned at this revelation.

Tsu’tey thought about the situation. While he still hated the sky people returning to their land, those here excluded of course, he had no desire to experience any more loss. He flashed back to recovering the sky people dead with Metzger. Neither did he really want to have to kill sky people. Two hundred and twenty five was a practical a clan. “What if we let them land?” he asked.

“Come on Tsu’tey! Do you really want them to return?” Jake asked in surprise. “The moment they land we will never get rid of them. They already outnumber the scientists here. How many soldiers?” he asked Metzger.

“They haven’t transmitted a passenger list but likely a hundred soldiers, forty miners and the rest medical, support, scientists etc. Probably another part of avatar drivers,” he replied.

“My point exactly. Anyway the clan will never accept it, let alone the other. Tyso will probably rebel if he finds out. Even Neytiri rejected the suggestion of a negotiated return when I posed it as a hypothetical scenario.”

“Look, we can deal with them when they come down if you give the green light,” Metzger said. “The shuttles can only carry 60 men on a trip and if you provide us with men we can deal with them if they come armed. If they’re unarmed any secondary group won’t dare take a move first as our hostages.”

“You have a cynical mind Metzger,” Max noted.

“It’s my job. It was how we survived the first few years here,” he noted dryly. “Still we can make it worth their time to play by our rules.”

“How?” Jake asked.

“There fifty tons of refined unobtanium in the refinery complex and perhaps another hundred and fifty unrefined in the storage bays and at the mine itself. I know you blew up the bucket excavator but we still have the trucks and diggers. We get them to transport and process the unobtanium in exchange for their stay and whatever cargo we want,” Metzger said laying out his solution.

“So that's why you didn’t want us destroying the refinery,” Norm said.

“Always knew this day would come,” Metzger replied.

“Yeah but it still doesn’t help me sell it to the clan,” Jake pointed out. “Just letting them back in is going to be hard enough now you’re talking about restarting mining operations.”

“I’m just talking about moving some trucks around and firing up the refinery.”

“And they will not see it like that,” Jake replied.

“What do you think, Tsu'tey?” Norm asked.

“I am not sure,” Tsu’tey admitted. “While the sky people must not return to blight our lands perhaps there is room to be merciful. We are not vindictive people after all.”

“You mean you are in favour of Metzger’s plan?” Jake asked.

“I do not know. But it does give us a peaceful resolution,” Tsu’tey replied.

“Not exactly a glowing endorsement. But I admit I don’t want to have to kill those people. It's just how we sell it to the people,” Jake admitted.

“Eywa will guide you,” Tsu’tey said. Metzger rolled his eyes at this suggestion.

“I hope she does. But I doubt even her intervention is going to be enough this time,” Jake said.

He made to get up off the floor, signalling the meeting was at an end. “Look, you need time to think about things,” he said to Norm. “But I’m sure you’ll see it isn’t a problem.”

“Perhaps,” Norm said, looking away slightly.

“Can I have a moment with Norm before we leave?” Tsu’tey asked, getting up. “Between teacher and student?”

“I don’t mind if you aren’t going to pressure him,” Jake said, turning to look at Norm.

“Sure, I’ll listen,” he said, walking forward.

Norm and Tsu’tey walked out just behind the hanger. Tsu’tey kept looking down at Norm, thinking that a child was walking next to him. “So what is this about?” Norm asked turning around to face him once they were far enough away as not to be overheard. Behind that mask that sudden intent burned.

“It's about us,” Tsu’tey said, putting a hand on Norm’s shoulder. “I mean, do you still consider me your mate after what you said?” Norm reached up his hand to caress Tsu’tey hand.

“I don’t fucking know Tsu’tey,” he admitted, letting go off the hand. “I mean what if this doesn't have either of us really want? What if we’re being manipulated into this?”

“I do not think so,” Tsu’tey replied, pulling his hand back. He knew that even more now. Still this was the reaction he’d feared. Norm was rejecting him.

“Look I like you Tsu’tey,” Norm said. “You might be a jerk when I first meet you. I've enjoyed being with you. But I just need time to think about what I’m doing. I was never good at making decisions,” he admitted.

“I understand,” Tsu’tey said, turning away. Sky people always seemed to make everything so complicated. When it came to your mate you did what your heart tells you.

“But I can say something,” Norm started to say, Tsu’tey turned to look at him. “The sex was fantastic.” Tsu’tey smiled, almost laughing at the statement. Perhaps Norm hadn’t rejected him after all.

As they were walking back to where Jake, Metzger and Max were waiting there was a loud hiss from where they had left their ikrans. Instantly Tsu’tey and Jake raced to the scene to see Jake’s ikran hissing at a female dreamwalker that had tried to approach it. Another male stood just behind here, several sky people, one with a raised weapon were also there. “Careful! Don’t look directly at her eyes,” Jake called out as he approached.

“Sorry! I was trying to get a better view,” the female dreamwalker said, trying to look away from the ikran without running. At least she knew not to do that. The ikran hissed again, flapping its wings out. She was getting angry.

“Look at me girl!” Jake said, stepping in front of the ikran to break line of sight. The potential challenger and her partner returned and the ikran started to calm down, helped by Jake rubbing her neck.

“You must know how dangerous ikrans are, Sarah,” Norm said as he raced up behind them. Tsu’tey now recognised the dreamwalker as Sarah, who had made a fool of herself when he had returned to the clan. The other dreamwalker was Ilram.

“Well I didn’t expect it to react so aggressively,” Sarah said, stepping slowly away from the ikran. “You said they were easy to handle.”

“Once you’re bound to them! Even then you have to treat them with a little bit of respect,” Norm said, as if he was still in his avatar body.

“To be fair she isn’t good with strangers,” Jake commented.

“Sorry,” Ilram said. “It's just that this is the first time we’ve gotten up close to an alive ikran before. Only ones we ever see are corpses the marines drag in.”

“We aren’t all marines,” Metzger noted.

“Whatever,” Sarah said. “So any chance we can visit the clan again? I know what Norm’s discovered is shocking but there are some of us who still want to learn. Certainly beats pacing around the base and grunt work.” Jake looked over to Tsu’tey.

“It’s probably not a good idea right now,” Jake said. Especially if they were going to have to tell the clan about the ship, Tsu’tey thought.

“We understand,” Sarah said, glancing at the ikran. “I know you’ve got some tension in the clan about us still being here. Just it's frustrating you know.”

“If I can convince the clan to accept the incoming ship I promise to let you come,” Jake promised as he mounted his ikran.

They flew back in silence as the night closed in. Between looking for the glow of any possible threats, Tsu’tey thought about what they were about to do. They would have to deal with Tyso but he still respected him. Hopefully he would back down or at worse just leave the clan. Finally they swooped into land at hometree. “So will you talk to the clan tonight?” Tsu’tey asked as they dismounted.

“No. I want to talk to Neytiri first. Get her on my side.” Jake decided.

“A good idea. Will you be telling Mo’at?” They would need every bit influential they could get if they were going to pull this off.

“I’ll talk to her after Neytiri but I doubt she’ll be too supportive of the idea.” She could never forgive the sky people for the death of Eytukan.

“But she will see the need for unity to keep the clan together.”

“That’s not the same as full support,” Jake said putting his hand on Tsu’tey’s shoulder. “I can truly count on your support?”

“You are my Olo'eyktan,” Tsu’tey replied, surprised that Jake could doubt him. Then he realised that Jake wanted more than loyalty to his status. “While I have no love for these sky people I realise it is the right thing to do.”

“I suppose that is enough,” Jake replied as they headed down to rejoin the clan.

Tsu’tey’s slept badly that night. Constantly waking up from a mess of memories kept playing out in front of his mind’s eye. Him, Norm and Jake talking that evening, him lying there nearly dying asking Jake to kill him, him training Norm, the destruction of hometree, him and Norm making love. But it was the death of Sylwanin that always jolted him awake. Her standing in front of the school house with the sky people soldiers approaching. Then they fired and Sylwanin was blown apart. The scene kept happening, more vivid that he’d ever remembered. He kept seeing the sky people approaching, weapons drawn. One of them had a na’vi knife on his hip. The guns fired. Tsu’tey awoke once more. But this time he knew what Eywa was trying to tell him.

Tsu’tey got up out of his hammock to where they’d placed Norm’s avatar. A part of him had wanted to sleep next to him. But their relationship was not official yet, nor was it the real Norm. However when he arrived he found Jake standing over him forcing something into his mouth. “What are you doing?” Tsu’tey hissed, shocked at what Jake was doing to Norm’s avatar.

“Tsu’tey!” Jake said looking up. “This isn’t what it looks like.”

“What does it look like?” Tsu’tey asked. Jake twitched as he totally missed the expression.

“I’m just feeding Norm’s avatar body,” Jake explained, putting down a plastic bottle.

“Feeding?”

“Just because Norm isn’t linked to it doesn’t mean it doesn’t eat or drink. Grace showed us how to do this. If you want you can do the rest,” Jake explained, offering Tsu’tey the bottle. Gingerly Tsu’tey took the bottle and inserted it into Norm’s mouth. Norm’s body twitched slightly, weakly sucking at the bottle. “Thank god for that reflex action they hardwired into these bodies,” Jake commented.

“I hope I do not have to do this when he is in this body,” Tsu’tey noted.

“No, that would be weird,” Jake admitted, taking the bottle from him. “Why were you over here so early?”

“Just wanted to borrow his dog tag,” Tsu’tey said, moving over to where Norm’s item rack was. “I need to visit the base,”

“You’re not going to pressure him?” Jake asked.

“No, it is something personal,” Tsu’tey said, gripping the dog tag tightly.

Tsu’tey swooped in to land at the human’s base and waited for someone to greet him. Finally Sarah in her dream walker body appeared and approached him. “Back so soon?” she asked in surprise. “If you want to speak to Norm he’s in the science lab I can get him if you want.”

“No, I want to speak to Metzger,” Tsu’tey said.

“Metzger? He’s checking the north tower but why?” She pointed the direction but Tsu’tey was already moving off before she could finish. He wanted to get this over with.

He was nearly at the tower when he saw Metzger exit the building, clearly alerted to his presence. “Tsu’tey, what a pleasant surprise. What brings you to the base so soon?” he said as if nothing was out of the ordinary. Tsu’tey felt the anger he had been fighting all this time boil over.

“You killed Sylwanin!” he spat.

“Who?” Metzger asked, confused. The weapon in his hand unnaturally still.

“The school house. Sylwanin and several fellow hunters came there seeking shelter. Soldiers came and killed them. I was there, I saw her die! I loved her.”

“I’m sorry for your loss,” Metzger muttered quietly.

“But you were there,” Tsu’tey added. “You fired the shot that killed my love.”

“I didn’t kill your girlfriend,” Metzger snapped back.

“I saw you!” Tsu’tey fired back, baring his teeth. He itched to draw his weapon. He saw Metzger’s own weapon shift.

Suddenly there was a roar as a vehicle pulled up next to them. “Tsu’tey! What are you doing here?” Norm asked, sticking his head out of the machine. He looked at Tsu'tey and Metzger. “Am I interrupting something?”

“Tsu’tey was just accusing me of killing his girlfriend,” Metzger explained, shifting away from Tsu’tey towards Norm.

“Sylwanin?” Norm said, instantly knowing who he meant. “Is this true?”

“As I said I didn’t shoot her,” Metzger protested. “But yes I was there,” he admitted after a moment. Tsu’tey saw another vehicle approaching them with armed soldiers in it.

“So he admits it,” Tsu’tey said, stepping forward.

“Let him defend himself first,” Norm said, stepping between them before Metzger could raise his weapon. Tsu’tey stopped. Part of him wanted to push Norm aside and attack Metzger but he stopped himself. That was no way to treat his mate. “Grace and the rest told me about what happened,” he continued, turning to Metzger. “Didn’t know you were caught up in it. Might not have voted to let you stay if I did,” he said.

“You never asked,” Metzger pointed out. “But it's more complicated than you think.”

The other vehicle pulled up, sky people jumping out, weapons at the ready. “You’re ok captain?” one of them asked.

“Stand down Glenna,” Metzger ordered. The sky people remained unconvinced. “I can prove it to you back at the base,” he said to Tsu’tey.

“It better convince me,” Tsu’tey muttered, accepting he would be outnumbered.

They returned to the hangar with the screen and Metzger fiddled with the computer to bring up another set of moving pictures. “You have a recording of the event? I thought there wasn’t any,” Norm said.

“Quaritch ordered all body cams and helicopter recordings wiped,” Metzger explained. “Which is what I did. After I unloaded a copy to the tactical net.”

“How didn’t he find it?”

“I’ve been here from day one. I made sure a section of the network was off the grid.”

The screen showed the inside of one of the sky people’s flying machines, facing out of the open door to the speeding jungle below. “This is Sampson Twenty Three,” a voice crackled from the recording sounding like it over a radio. “We have the native hostiles on scope. Am now moving away from the operational zone. Requesting permissions to pursue.”

“A bunch of warriors had just burned a bulldozer. I was shadowing a response team when we were diverted,” Metzger explained.

“Sampson Twenty Three, this is Command. You have cleared to pursue and destroy. We’ve taken casualties and you are to send a message,” another voice said over the radio.

“That’s Quaritch,” Norm said. It was strange hearing the sky person leader’s voice Tsu’tey noted. The voice matched his actions. “What did he mean by casualties?” Norm added.

“One of the miners burned to death in the bulldozer and another fell from the vehicle while escaping and smashed his mask. Dead by the time anyone got there,” Metzger explained.

“I did not know what,” Tsu’tey said. He had known that Sylwanin and her group had struck at the sky people’s machines as they destroyed yet more trees. He hadn’t known of any sky people deaths before.

“Great, another blue skin chase,” a voice said. The camera shifted to show a group of soldiers cramped into the craft’s cabin.

“Beats guarding the wire all day,” another said.

“Perhaps I’ll be able to grab one of those knives like you’ve got, Metzger?” the first one, a large dark skinned male said.

“You know the rules on artefacts Justine. You hand it in, you get a percentage,” Metzger’s voice replied.

“Yeah 10%,” the soldier gripped.

“It’s not like it going to matter much when you get back to earth,” someone else said.

“If we get back,” the first male joked.

“Hostiles are now heading towards AVTR site one,” the pilot said as the craft banked, gosling it’s passengers.

“They may be students,” Metzger’s voice noted.

“Bloody scientists,” Quaritch’s voice could be heard. “They are supposed to stop them from attacking us. You are ordered to continue.”

“I probably knew what was going to happen right there,” Metzger said, turning to face Tsu’tey as the camera leaned out to look down onto the jungle. “But at the time I was hoping that they would continue running or we’d be able to deal with this without bloodshed.” The craft came in for a landing, the camera shifting as its wearer jumped from the craft, pulling up a rifle into a ready position. The rest of the soldiers rush out and begin to advance through the jungle.

There was scattered radio chatter as the group advanced through the trees. It was strange seeing the jungle from the size Tsu’tey pondered, a simple fallen branch became a difficult detour. “Do you request air cover?” the Sampson pilot asked. “Scorpion fight 3 minutes from being on station.”

“Negative,” Metzger’s voice replied. “Let's keep this thing small key.”

“Rodger, taking off to observation station.”

“Is that wise? This could be a trap,” Quaritch pointed out over the radio.

“Doubt it sir. If this was, they would have been a larger group involved in the attack and they wouldn’t have retreated to the school,” Metzger’s voice pointed out.

“Insurgents often use their own population as cover,” Quaritch muttered.

“Wow!” Norm exclaimed at Quaritch’s statement.

“His unit did a lot of action in the Congo. Did my fair share in North Africa so I can see where he was coming from,” Metzger said. Tsu’tey looked at both of them. Beyond the few scientists most sky people shot at the na’vi when they saw them.

On the recording the school house was coming into view through the trees. “Contact, front of the building,” someone snapped over the radio. Tsu’tey’s stomach tightened when he saw the group of na’vi standing in front of the school. Even from a distance he could recognise Sylwanin as she seemed to be speaking intensely to Dr Augustine.

“I see them, team one form up on me, team two spread out and cover us. Let them have a gap on the flank,” Metzger ordered. The camera kept moving forward towards the school, soldiers forming up around him while others shifted positions around him.

“What do you think you are doing captain?” Quaritch burst in over the radio. “You are giving them an escape route.”

“Sir the school house is in direct line of fire. If we can shift them away we can deal with them safely,” Metzger’s voice said.

There was a warning cry from one of the hunters readying his bow as he spotted the approaching sky people. Sylwanin was saying something to Grace and she turned, Tsu’tey could barely make it out “You must protect us” or something. Grace stepped forward, hands outstretched.

“Stand down!” she said.

“Do not fire until I say,” Metzger responded, continuing to advance on the school house.

“What the hell is going on. I gave you an order to kill them,” Quaritch said.

“Dr Augustine is in the line of fire Sir,” Metzger tried to explain. “Dr Augustine this is a SecOps operation step away please!” he yelled to Grace.

The face’s of na’vi children appeared at the windows and doorway, attracted by the commotion. For a moment Tsu’tey thought he could see himself in the group. Grace turned to push them back into the building, clearly knowing what was about to happen.

“She’s clear, open fire!” Quaritch ordered.

“Belay! Get them away from the school!” Metzger said.

“I gave you a direct order!” Quaritch raged. Sylwanin raises her own bow.

“I am in operational command here,” Metzger snapped at Quaritch. Tsu’tey saw Neytiri call her sister, the words lost behind Quartich’s voice.

“And I remind you of your observational status here!” Quaritch snarled, his anger barely restrained. “Sergeant, you are ordered to disregard any orders from Captain Metzger. Open fire!”

There was a split second of stillness and then Metzger shifted his rifle shifted upward before the weapon discharged. Tsu’tey flinched as he saw shots hitting Sylwanin’s body, her face twisted in pain. Then the image disappeared as Metzger hit the ground as the sound of weapon fire killed the hanger.

“I’ll save you the aftermath,” Metzger said, switching off the recording. “I was shooting into the roof hoping it would make them run. Unfortunately it was too late.”

“You said that you wanted to get them away from the school, if you had done so would you still have killed them?” Tsu’tey asked. Metzger sucked his lips.

“I would have preferred they’d escaped, relations were bad enough. But we did need to respond to the attack,” he explained, choosing his words carefully.

“You would have preferred a lesser response?” Tsu’tey guessed.

“I suppose so,” Metzger replied.

“Thank you for showing me this,” Tsu’tey said, getting up. “It was interesting to see the other side of things.”

“I suppose I would like to know what made them decide to do it,” Metzger said. “Just kids really. War shouldn’t be their place.” Yes, expect your kind drove them to fight, Tsu’tey thought as he walked away. While it was clear Metzger was not like Quaritch and so many of the sky people, he still would never truly see. Plus he would have still tried to kill Sylwanin.

“Hey wait up!” Norm complained, running to keep up. “You’ve just come for that?”

“I needed to know the truth,” Tsu’tey explained, slowing down and turning to Norm. “How are you doing?” he asked, his anger beginning to subside.

“I’m doing well. This downtime has given me a chance to recover a bit, and started writing a paper on na’vi hunting practices. Not that anyone will ever read it.”

“Good,” Tsu’tey muttered. “Have you, you know, reconsidered?” He didn’t want to press the issue but it was the only thing I could think about.

Norm sucked in his chest. “You always jump to the hard questions,” he said.

“I suppose I do.” Norm turned to look out beyond the wire.

“I don’t know,” he said after a moment. “Our brainwave analysis is just throwing up more questions than answers. It will probably take years with even specialists. Yet at the same time every time I look out into the jungle I want to be out there. And I don’t mean in this body.”

“Yet you also want to remain living here?” Tsu’tey said.

“What can I say, while I like living with the clan turns out I can’t give up on coffee and a hot shower,” Norm replied.

“It sounds like you do not know which world you want to be in. I hope you are able to decide which one you truly want.”

“I hope so,” Norm said as they continued walking to Tsu’tey’s ikran where Sarah and a few sky people were hovering. “Anyway, keep a strong big guy. Well even a bigger guy now,” he added, caressing Tsu’tey’s hand for a second as Tsu’tey mounted his ride.

“Thank you,” Tsu’tey said, stopping bounding with his ikran to look down at his hand for a second. “My mate to be,”

“It's called a boyfriend,” Norm called back as Tsu’tey took off.

Tsu’tey spent the rest of the day working at hometree, trying to get a sense of the clan’s mood. On the surface the clan seemed happy and stable, everyone working to at their tasks, however below the surface there was clearly a disquiet. He asked as few leading questions about Jake’s leadership and got mixed responses. While some liked his leadership style because it gave them a bigger voice, others viewed him as differing, taking too long to make a decision while he conferred with Neytiri or Mo’at for insight on an issue. But most were willing to accept it as long as Tsu’tey, the previous Olo'eyktan supported Jake’s actions. This disquieted Tsu’tey, it was clear he would have to convince the clan as much as Jake.

As the clan gathered for the evening meal him and Jake met up in the sleeping area. “Have you spoken to Neytiri?” he asked.

“Yes, and Mo’at,” Jake replied.

“How did they react to your decision?” Tsu’tey asked, knowing the expected answer.

“They didn’t like it,” Jake admitted with a pained expression. “Neytiri was furious at even the suggestion. Nearly turned into a row before I was able to talk her round. Turns out her suggestion of using the bound to let her feel how I felt really works.” Tsu’tey smiled, people did say that mates never truly argued, more disagreed. “Once I had Neytiri on my side I was able to talk around Mo’at. I know both of them don’t really agree deep down but trust me enough to support me when I take it to the clan.”

“Then I suppose we might as well get it over with,” Tsu’tey said pointing down to the assembled clan.

“Your right. Best to get it over with,” Jake agreed as they started walking down to the clan.


	8. Chapter 8

They sat down with the clan as if everything was normal. Jake making small talk with Neytiri and Mo’at. Tsu’tey tucked at some food but could barely eat anything. It felt like he was about to go into battle. Eventually Jake decided the time was right and rose to his feet.

“People! Friends!” he called out to the assembled clan, silencing all conversation as they focused on him. “We have faced a great trial, you and I,” Jake started. “When I became olo'eyktan we had almost nothing. So much had been destroyed by the sky people.” The clan shifted, as everyone thought back to those dark times. “But we had won a great victory against them,” Jake continued. “And under Eywa’s guidance and blessings we have rebuilt! We have a new home, a new hometree. So much that has been lost has been rebuilt. We have created new rituals to recreate the old, we even have new faces,” Jake turned to look at one of the newborns that had been born after the war, along with the several na’vi from other clans that had joined the Omaticaya.

“This is not my triumph,” Jake stated. “This is yours, this success could not have happened without the bounds that tie this clan together. For this I am in your debt.” There was a gentle murmuring of approval from the clan. A good speech, Tsu’tey considered, strong yet humble. It would please many.

Jake suddenly looked hesitant. “Which is why I must inform you that we face another moment of crisis. We have a difficult decision to make,” he continued. The mood suddenly shifted, the clan holding on with baited breath. “The sky people are returning,” Jake admitted. There were several gasps as Tsu’tey could feel the fear spreading through the clan.

“I have been informed by our dreamwalker allies that there is another of their spacecraft on its way and that it will be here soon,” Jake said, his voice rising to be heard over the clan. “But they are not a threat. Their gunships and mighty dragons have been destroyed, their base is in the hands of our allies, they will not find sanctuary there, and we even outnumber them. There are only two hundred of them on that ship, not all of them warriors, this clan alone outnumbers them,” Jake said looking around the clan. “Together with the local clans we can bet them if they attempt to land. The sky people will never again despoil our land,” this sent up a quick cheer from some quarters of the clan.

Jake smiled at this and then was serious again. “They know this of course. We’ve told them this. However there is a complication. They cannot remain above the world preparing to return to their world. Their food will run out, their air will become stale and unbreathable. In short they will die, slowly and painfully.” Jake paused letting the last point sink in, Tsu’tey knew that wasn’t quite true but saw that Jake was trying to get the clan to empathise with the sky people.

“So we are left with a difficult decision to make,” Jake continued. “Do we let these 200 sky people, the size of a small clan die? People that have yet to do us any harm? Are we that vindictive? Haven’t our dreamwalker allies and the other scientists shown that not all sky people are inherently evil? Was I not one of them once?” Perhaps not a great point to bring up, Tsu’tey thought.

“So I propose a solution. We will let them land and stay for as short a time as is necessary. They will be confined to the sky people base, watched over by the dreamwalkers and our warriors. If they lie to us we will deal with them. There will be no return to mining or destruction of the land,” Jake said. Another mistruth, Tsu’tey noted. How easily he was able to pull them off.

Jake raised his hand to quell the expected protests. “This has not been an easy choice for me to make,” he admitted. “But I have spoken with our tsahìk and she agrees with my actions,” he continued turning to Mo’at.

“I agree with Jake Sully,” Mo’at said, not entirely energetically but showing just enough support in her voice. “Eywa has always told us to forgive after conflict with another may it be an individual or clan for the balance of the world. Why should we not do the same with the sky people. Even after all they have done,” she continued, putting a barbed tone to her final words.

“I know that some of you may not be able to support my decision,” Jake continued, ignoring her tone. “The war scarred us all. Some of you have lost family, some of you were wounded in the destruction of hometree or the fight to drive the sky people away. For some of us the scars are only in our minds. It is for this reason I cannot force this action upon you. I want to have your support first. Do I have your support in that we allow these sky people to return to our land?” Jake finished speaking, looking over the now totally silent clan. “I know you will make the right choice,” he added.

“So our true colours are revealed,” a voice spoke out. Tsu’tey didn’t even need to look up to know the speaker. Tyso was standing up, rage barely concealed across his face. Tsu’tey mentally cursed, his worst fears confirmed.

“You have a problem with my decision?” Jake asked, ignoring Tyso’s obvious challenge to his authority.

“A problem! Of course we have a problem with your proposal. We have suffered for years at the hands of the sky people. Our hometree was destroyed! Our families burned to death or crushed by falling branches, our warriors maimed by their weapons!” Several warriors around him raised their hands in support, their missing fingers clearly viable. “Our olo'eyktan Eytukan killed! Eywa herself threatened with destruction! And you expect us to forgive the sky people for this? To forget what they have done and let them return on the promise that they will not remain? We made agreements with them before and they broke them. Especially when you helped them,” he continued.

“So this is not about them, this about me?” Jake asked.

“Of course it is, you were a spy to the sky people, you admitted it yourself. Your actions lead to the destruction of hometree and the death of Eytukan,” Tyso stated.

“It was not my fault,” Jake protested. “I was betrayed too by the sky people. Their leaders lied to me and the rest of the dreamwalkers as well.”

“So you claim,” Tyso argued.

“If I was a traitor how could I have become Toruk Makto?” Jake pointed out. “How could I have led the people to victory?”

“Ah your great victory!” Tyso said dismissively. “While Eywa may have chosen you to be Toruk Makto. It was Eywa hearing our voices that decimated their warriors and smashing their oh so mighty machines. But we did not push our advantage! We should have punished the sky people for their years of lies, broken promises and devastation. The burning of trees, the bombing of villages, the destruction of the balance of the world!”

Tyso stopped, the rage overpowering him for a second, he paused to spit out some spittle. “But what do you do? Instead you negotiate them, allow them to leave on their spaceship, leaving behind their weak scientists and dreamwalkers. While they are still here the sky people will never truly be gone. You even want to bring them into the clan. Make them part of the people. We rejected that. So you let Tsu’tey bring one of them here, let him learn our ways.” Tsu’tey’s gut tightened as Tyso rounded on Norm. “You might think of him as one of us. But he will never be truly one of us.”

“Leave Norm out of this! He’s got nothing to do with this,” Jake warned.

“He is just a symptom of a wide problem,” Tyso said. “You seek to bring sky people thinking into the clan. You bring their technology, their so called leadership where everything is delayed while you seek input from everyone. You constantly confer with your mate or Mo’at about every little decision.”

“It is true that I don’t know everything about being olo'eyktan. That is why I ask for guidance,” Jake said.

“And it makes you weak!” Tyso countered. “Look at how long it took us so long to find a new home while you weighed every option instead of deciding from the heart. No wonder the clan has still not bounced back as quickly as we can. The Omaticaya has existed for a thousand generations, but now we are dependent on gifts from others. It is humiliating.”

“Any other olo'eyktan would have done the same,” Jake said.

“Then perhaps it is time for a new olo'eyktan!” Tyso said stepping forward though the crowd to stand in front of Jake. “I formally challenge you for the leadership of the clan!” Tsu’tey looked on, stunned. He had never expected Tyso to go this far. Protest and leave the clan perhaps, but never this.

“So you wish to replace me?” Jake said unmoved by Tyso’s challenge.

“No,” Tyso replied. “I issue this challenge so Tsu’tey may regain his rightful place as olo'eyktan.” All eyes in the chamber fell on Tsu’tey. Crafty bastard, Tsu’tey thought. I’m the perfect candidate for the clan, even Jake’s allies to rally around. For a second a part of him wanted to say yes, to be olo'eyktan again, to reclaim his rightful place. He flashed a look at Jake, suddenly afraid. But that would mean that he would have to betray Jake, and Norm. There would also be no illusions about what would be the real power in the clan if he did so. Tyso would control him like a puppet, forever in his debt, to be discarded when necessary. “You may have trained the dreamwalker,” Tyso admitted, trying to convince Tsu’tey. “But you did this at Jake’s behest, and I still believe you know what is best for the clan.”

“I did not train Norm at Jake’s behest,” Tsu’tey said finally. “I trained him because he had shown he was willing to die to protect Eywa. I will not be a party to this. I reject your offer!” Tyso looked at him with pure hate.

“Then you choose to stand against us,” he said and turned to the clan. “It seems that I must stand up to protect the clan. Who will support my claim?” he asked. His supporters stepped forward to stand next to him, their arms raised. Tsu’tey looked at them as they approached. Atan, Takuk, Iengo', Äaym, some of them he expected, others he had not. Some of them look at his sourly while others like Atan look almost apologetic to be standing against him and Jake. Across the clan several other hands went up in support. A larger number than Tsu’tey had expected but still a minority of the clan.

“So who will support me?” Jake asked as Tyso’s supporters lowered their hands. Neytiri rose to her feet, hand raised in support.

“ _ S _ how your support to our right full olo'eyktan?”  _ s _ he called out. Several hands were raised but they were less than Tyso’s. The majority stayed silent, looking away as Tsu’tey eyed them. Even Mo’at remained silent, hands at her side. They’re afraid Tsu’tey realised. Their fear of the return of the sky people have left them paralysed, unable to decide which side to support. Of course it didn’t matter if they didn’t support Tyso he would consider it as agreement. They have planned this out wrong. Jake should have revealed the sky people first, let the clan react to it, let Tyso push for resistance, exhaust himself. Then give them the option of letting them land over another costly war. Now they were both in danger.

Tyso looked around, the glee on his face. “I think that shows were the clan stands,” he said, turning to Jake. “It was you who insisted on letting the people decide,” he pointed out. Jake hung his head in despair. Neytiri gripped his hand tightly.

“What are you going to do with us?” Jake asked.

“I will be merciful,” Tyso said smiling. “You can leave to be with your sky people friends. Now.” He signalled his hand. Atan and several warriors stepped forward to grab them. There was a howl of protest from some in the clan. People standing up, knives drawn. Tsu’tey made to draw his own to defend them. Jake raised his arm to tell people to stop before the whole clan descended into a civil war.

There was a loud metallic clack from above, silencing everything. Atan suddenly paused looking up. Tsu’tey turned to see a na’vi standing on the stairs, holding a gun between his five fingered hands. “Get away from them, you bastard!” Norm ordered.

“Norm!?” Tsu’tey said in shock as Norm advanced down the steps, the sky people gun looking like a toy in his hands.

“Hi Tsu’tey,” Norm said. “What the hell is going on?”

“So the dreamwalker finally awakens,” Tyso said, unmoved by Norm’s weapon. “This does not concern you, outsider.”

“I think it does, I heard enough,” Norm replied. One of Tyso’s warriors made a move towards Norm. Norm snapped his weapon towards him, causing him to stop. “Threatening us with a sky person weapon? I suppose it reveals your true nature,” Tyso commented.

“Yeah but I can kill you with a single second,” Norm pointed out.

“And there is more than one of us,” Tyso pointed out. One of his warriors at the back of the clan raised his bow. Tsu’tey saw Norm tense, if he shifted his aim to the archer someone else would rush him.

“No!” Mo’at suddenly screamed, jumping to her feet. “I will not stand by as you tear this clan apart!” She advanced on Tyso, not even his warriors attempting to restrain her. “This clan has already lost so much, and now just as we are beginning to rebuild you threaten to break it forever with this action. You threaten to turn brother against brother!” she waved to the people around the room, weapons still drawn. “Do you think the clan will unite around you after this? It will be broken forever! This is not Eywa’s way,” she continued.

Tyso looked at her viciously but didn’t lash out at her as he obviously wanted to do. To strike down the clan’s tsahìk would instantly destroy his support. “What would you advise, tsahìk?” he asked after a moment, trying to put the best spin on the situation.

“That you settle this via personal combat,” Mo’at said. “So that the clan does not suffer due from your conflict.” Tyso sized up for a second.

“I accept the suggestion. If Jake is willing?” he said.

“I do,” Jake said, stepping forward, puffing out his chest.

“Then I must stand in your place,” Tsu’tey said, stepping forward as well.

“Tsu’tey you don’t have to do this,” Jake said.

“I must. You must protect your neutrality as olo'eyktan,” Tsu’tey pointed out. “Plus this is my fault for not deal with Tyso.” Jake looked like he was going to protest further and then signalled his acceptance.

“Is this acceptable to you?” Mo’at turned to Tyso.

“It would be an honour,” he replied. Tsu’tey wasn’t surprised. Tyso had always wanted to show he was a better fighter than himself.

Tyso’s warriors backed off, members of the clan shifting to clear a space for the fight that was about to take place. “You’re not really going though with this?” Norm asked as Tsu’tey prepared himself.

“It has got to be done. For the good of the clan.”

“Is this to the death?” Norm asked Mo’at.

“Yes,” she replied. “A fighter can in theory yield but with the stakes so high.” Norm pursued his lip for a second.

“Look, just don’t die on me,” he said, grasping Tsu’tey’s hand in his.

“I’ve come back from worse,” Tsu’tey pointed out, squeezing Norm’s hand for a second before stepping into the combat space.

Tyso was already ready and waiting for him in the ring, his hand on his undrawn knife. Tsu’tey looked at him for a second. All the bravado had drained from Tyso leaving the cold eyes of a warrior. At least he knew what this meant, he thought, putting his own hand to his knife. They eyed each other for a second before nodding. The fight had started.

With a cry Tyso drew his knife and leapt toward Tsu’tey, aiming for a killer blow. Tsu’tey rolled to the side, easily dodging the attack. Drawing his own knife he dropped into a defence posture. Slashing into the air to keep Tyso at a distance.

He wasn’t dissuaded. launching attack after attack. Lunging forward to stab. Tsu’tey dodged around the blade, even at Tyso attempted to slash him as he came past. Tsu’tey felt the rising anger in Tyso as he kept dragging out the fight. Normally he would have also gone to the killing blow but he wanted Tyso angry. Angry people make more mistakes, leave themselves open to counters. Already Tyso was letting his guard drift.

As Tyso made another attack he lashed out, hoping to slash Tyso’s exposed abdomen. Tyso dodged around the attack. He felt a burst of pain on his arm. Heard Norm cried out in shock. He put his free hand to the point and felt blood. Tyso’s blade must have nicked him. Nothing serious. Norm was just overreacting.

Still not to lose the initiative he laid into Tyso, launching his own barrage of attacks. Tyso's defence was poor, only able to deflect a few of his attacks, dodging others by a hair’s breadth. His counterattacks were wild and easy to anticipate. Tsu’tey resisted the urge to go for the kill. Tyso was desperate, and a desperate foe could do anything.

Suddenly Tyso charged forward, slamming into him. They hit the ground hard. Tsu’tey lost his grip on his knife. They struggled. Tyso still had his knife and raised to strike. Tsu’tey grabbed Tyso’s hand with his wounded arm before Tyso could attack, trying to keep the blade away. The wound burned, he could feel his strength beginning to fade. His legs flailing as he fought to keep Tyso from subduing them. The knife inching towards his chest. The look of triumph appeared on Tyso’s face.

Tsu’tey’s knee jerked up, connecting with Tyso’s groin. The look of triumph turned to pain. Tsu’tey lashed out with his elbow, knocking Tyso’s arm from under him. Tsu’tey finally was able to kick Tyso away.

They rolled, trying to get a grip on the knife. Tsu’tey started slamming Tyso’s hand onto the ground repeatedly. Tyso tried to gouge his eyes out. The knife dropped from Tyso’s bloody fingers. Tsu’tey picked him up and smashed him into the floor. Crushing his lower body he started beating on him relentlessly.

Tyso reached up to grab his arm, struggling to say something between shattered teeth but Tsu’tey kept on punching. He knew he should stop punching, Tyso was beaten, at the very least out of the fight. He could stop this, let him be exiled but he kept on punching. Tyso would always be a threat to the clan. Even in exile he would still threaten the clan, antagonising the sky people. What if he found allies in the other clans. He needed to die.

There was the crack of bone as Tsu’tey brought down another hammer blow. He stopped, Tyso unmoving below him. He looked up to see the clan staring at him in silence, a look of horror on Norm’s face. Jake a stony mask. Tsu’tey looked down at his handy work. How Tyso’s face had been reduced to a bloody mess, felt the blood, Tyso or his own he didn’t know running down his fingers. He suddenly felt ashamed. This was not the glory of a warrior’s victory, this was a tragedy.

“Look what I have done!” he called out to the clan. “I have killed a brother!” he continued, almost sobbing. “Are we going to tear ourselves apart? Brother against brother until none are left?” He put his hand on Tyso’s body. “Let us come together, in remembrance for Tyso. For he was still an omaticayan. Let us never forget who is our family, our people!”

The clan formed up around him, arms reaching out to touch each other, even Norm joining in as a funeral song started up. People started singing the song, one of loss and remembrance. People who a few minutes before were about to kill each other stood united in sorrow. And all the while Tsu’tey wept for what he had been forced, no, decided to do.

Finally the clan started breaking up. Tyso’s body carried away, flanked by Mo’at. Rituals had to be conducted before a funeral could be performed. “That was a brutal thing you had to do,” Jake said coming up, grasping his shoulder. “I know how hard it is.” I don’t think anyone really does, was all Tsu’tey was thinking.

“You’re hurt,” Norm pointed out, rushing to ten _ d _ to his wounds.

“They are not serious,” he protested, pushing Norm away, wincing as his hand  _ h _ urt.

“Don’t be stupid,” Norm countered, getting a damn spong _ e  _ to wash the blood away.

“So what are you doing here, Norm? I thought you were going to link with your avatar until you’d worked out what was happening?” Jake asked.

“I was,” Norm admitted. “But I realised I really was missing being here.”

“Even if that’s just Eywa manipulating you?” Tsu’tey asked.

“Perhaps.” Norm shot him a lustful eye. “But something you said stuck in my head. You said I didn’t know which world I wanted to be in,” he explained.

“And you’ve decided you prefer this life?” Jake said.

“No. Well not exactly,” Norm admitted, finishing up cleaning Tsu’tey hand. While there were several bad cuts it wasn’t too serious. “Why do I have to decide that I’m going to be a human or a na’vi? I’ve been trying to keep my two lifes separate, Dr Norm Spellman the human and Norm Spellman the na’vi warrior and ikran makto. But why can’t they be the same person?”

_ _ “You mean not quite na’vi and not quite a sky person?” Tsu’tey asked, trying to understand the concept.

“Don’t worry Tsu’tey,” Norm said reassuringly. “I’m still going to be a warrior. Just one that’s willing to bring up more human ideas and tech into his life.”

“You think you can really do it? Achieve a real balance?” Jake asked.

“I know you found it impossible,” Norm admitted. “But we did come here to act as a bridge between humanity and the na’vi. I suppose someone should at least try to be that bridge.”

“I thought I was?” Jake said.

“Says the man that gave up his human body to live in his avatar body full time,” Norm pointed out.

“You have a point,” Jake admitted. “I suppose we can try it a day at a time.”

Norm’s stomach rumbled audibly suddenly. “God I’m hungry,” he said, looking around at the empty serving dishes. “I hope there is still some food left?”

“There might be some down by the kitchen,” Jake said, signalling Norm to follow him. “So how much have you found out about the changes?” he asked, as him and Norm started walking towards the exit.

“Not that much to be honest. Not being in the link for a few days has had not effect reverting the changes,” Norm explained as they started walking.

  
  
  


“It is good that Norm has returned to us,” Neytiri commented as they disappeared down to the base of hometree.

“It is,” Tsu’tey admitted. Despite saying he was rejecting his dreamwalker body Norm seemed to have leapt back into things like nothing had happened. “Fortunate for the clan he did. I do not want to think what would have happened if Tyso had...” he started to say but faltered at Tyso’s name.

“I know that was hard,” Neytiri said. “But I am grateful that you stood in for Jake. It was a brutal fight to watch.”

“There was no honour in it,” Tsu’tey admitted. “But I had to end this myself. You do think this will end this division in the clan?” he asked her.

“I don’t think everyone will fall into line,” she admitted. “But most where acting out of fears of the sky people. If Jake can prove to them the sky people are not a threat I think they will not be a problem. One of the reason he put so much hope on Norm joining the clan.”

“I suppose he is right,” Tsu’tey admitted. “Norm and the other dreamwalkers are our best hope of coming to agreement with them.”

“You are very fond of Norm aren’t you?” Neytiri said suddenly.

“He was my student and friend,” Tsu’tey replied, unsure at the sudden change of direction.

“I think he is more than that,” Neytiri said, swinging her tswin slightly. Tsu’tey suddenly got what she meant.

“How did you know?” he snapped, suddenly defensive.

“I was going to be mated to you for years,” she pointed out. “I can read you very well.” Of course she did, Tsu'tey thought. He’d preferred to announce his relationship with Norm on his own terms.

“How obvious was I?” he asked.

“I don’t think anyone else would notice,” she admitted. “Norm perhaps less so but then again sky people aren’t that subtle. Are you mated yet?” Tsu’tey winced at the question, glancing around to see if anyone was listening.

“Not yet. I didn’t want to rush things,” he admitted. Neytiri smiled.

“You always did take things slow. When will you bond with him?”

“When we are ready. Certainly not until after he is officially part of the clan,” Tsu’tey said, getting annoyed at how she was prying into his relationship.

“Sorry,” she said, backing off. “I’m just surprised someone else found a dreamwalker appealing, especially you and him.”

“It sure surprised me,” Tsu’tey said.

Jake and Norm re-entered the chamber, Norm already tucking into a big plate of food. Tsu’tey smiled as they sat down in the ground, passing the plate around between them. “I suppose I should thank you for stepping in there,” he said, sitting down next to Norm to eat some of the food himself.

“Oh come on, no way I was going to let a racist like Tyso throw Jake, Neytiri and you out,” Norm replied, brushing off his act of bravery. Tsu’tey didn’t know what a racist was but he got the tone.

“You need to stop being so modest. A warrior would acknowledge his victories.”

“I’m pretty sure it was you that beat him,” Norm pointed out. The image of Tyso’s lifeless eyes flashed through Tsu’tey’s mind. No, he wanted to get away from that.

“You still did your part,” he said leaning in to kiss Norm’s cheek.

Jake let out a gasp for a second that turned out a big oh as he finally understood as Norm playfully pushed Tsu’tey away, glancing around nervously at the rest of the clan. Hardly anyone had noticed. “So you really went for it” Jake said.

“Well no point in hiding it,” Norm admitted, looking sternly at Tsu’tey. “Tsu’tey popped the question and I felt like I couldn’t say no.”

“I was kissing you at the time,” Tsu’tey pointed out.

“That sealed the deal,” Norm added.

“So have you? Done it yet?” Jake stopped, not wishing to pry too far.

“God Jake, I’m not discussing my sex life out loud,” Norm said, chastising him.

“We have not performed tsaheylu yet,” Tsu’tey said, hoping to bring this conversation to a close.

“What?” Norm said, surprised at this.

“Clearly there are some things you still need to learn,” Jake said, smirking. “But I can tell you, it’s incredible.” Before Norm could ask why Tsu’tey learned over and whispered the details into Norm’s ear.

“Oh,” was all that Norm said.

“Only when we’re ready,” Tsu’tey said, stretching out to look into the fire. His hand reached around Norm’s waist.

Tsu’tey was looking for Norm the next morning only to to find him and Moa’t in an argument. “No! Absolutely not! You are asking is sacrilege,” she protested, throwing up her hands. Her usual sign of end of discussion.

“How is it sacrilege to try and understand Eywa’s blessings?” Norm countered. “Na’vi shaman’s spend years trying to understand her wisdom.”

“But this is not understanding her wisdom. You want to let outsiders, even trusted ones observe one of the most intimate ceremonies a na’vi can undergo.”

“How can you understand something unless you know how it works?” Norm said.

“Why do rocks float and people dream into false bodies? I do not need to know how they are able to accept them as fact,” Mo’at countered.

“What is this about?” Tsu’tey interjected before they started again.

Norm turned sharply, a flash of annoyance fading when he saw it was Tsu’tey. “We were talking about making arrangements for my dream hunt when I said that I wanted some fellow humans to monitor the event,” he explained.

“And I was saying that was impossible,” Mo’at said.

“Why do you wish to have sky people there? Is this something science related?” Tsu’tey asked.

“Yes,” Norm admitted. “While I’m willing to accept the changes to my brain. I’d still want to know what they are and a dream hunt is the last big event that Jake’s done that I’ve yet to do. It would at least give me some closure. Plus Charlie has been longing to study it even since Grace found out about it.”

“The uniltaron to be disturbed by excess people,” Tsu’tey, trying to be more tactful than Mo’at. “It is a delicate thing.” Really only the senior members of the clan were present at a uiltaron. those best places to understand their song and the place in the clan. But he could see that Norm needed reassurance, or he’d never go through with it. “But perhaps a less intrusive method would be acceptable,” he floated the idea. “You have shown your machines can monitor your body. Could these provide what you seek?”

“I suppose if I strapped a bunch of sensors to myself we’d get most of what we need,” Norm admitted. “probably have to wear them anyway. The rest of the science team still really wants to get a look in. Perhaps a camera?” he asked Mo’at.

“I would prefer as few of your devices as possible,” she responded irritably. “But perhaps there is room for negotiation,” she relented a moment later.

“I’ll see what the science team says,” Norm said, clearly pleased that they were heading towards some kind of agreement. “But if they aren’t going to be on site during the ceremony the team is going to need somewhere to record and analyse the data. Transmitting it back to hell’s gate isn’t going to cut it,” he added.

“What are you suggesting?” Tsu’tey asked.

“A shack here?” Jake almost exploded when he heard Norm’s suggestion. “We’ve just had Tyso attempting a coup over just letting the ship land here and now you’re suggesting I let you bring in a link shack and set up a base?”

“I’m not talking about plonking it here at the tree. I meant somewhere in the local area,” Norm explained. “There are some clearing near the cliffs to the west that would be perfect,” he said, pointing into the jungle.

“That’s better,” Jake admitted. “But I still won’t think the clan is going to be happy with it.”

“It really depends on how we sell. What if we made it less a human base and more a place of learning and exchange?” Norm suggested.

“Like Grace’s school?” Tsu’tey asked.

“A bit like that, a bit less focused on children and more in making it a two way street.” Jake frowned at him. “Alright it will let the rest of the avatar team interact with the clan more freely. It would be easier than flying a Sampson out here all the time,” Norm admitted.

“I mean I’m fine with it of course. I can probably talk Mo’at and Neytiri around over it. It's just that I fear what some of Tyso’s old diehards are going to react,” Jake pointed out.

“I’ll talk to them,” Tsu’tey said, turning to walk away from them.

“You better not start another fight to the death,” Jake joked. Norm glanced at Tsu’tey, concern in his eyes.

“Don’t worry,” Tsu’tey reassured both of them. “This doesn’t need violence.”

After Tyso had died, his faction, almost able to topple Jake’s leadership, had collapsed. A couple of them had already left the clan, last seen riding into the jungle. Others had simply melted back into the hubbub of the clan. The last simply sat around at the base of the tree, listlessly talking or preparing their weapons when Tsu’tey approached them. “Tsu’tey,” Atan said, getting up as he saw him coming.

“Have you come to tell us we are to be exiled?” Takuk asked.

“No,” Tsu’tey said, looking over the group. “Jake has already told you that he will not pass punishment on anyone for supporting Tyso.” Tsu’tey had opposed the decision but Jake pointed out it wouldn't cause any more division. Better to bury the issue alongside Tyso. “However I still want to know what you intend to do.”

The group shifts, uncomfortable at Tsu’tey’s words. “What do you mean?” Atan asked.

“The clan has suffered a lot already. I hope you will not cause further conflict,” Tsu’tey explained.

“I will not follow Jake,” Iengo' warned. “You are our true olo'eyktan Tsu’tey!” Tsu’tey smiled at how they clung to that idea.

“If I am your olo'eyktan then you would follow in my decision to follow Jake’s decision?” he asked. Blank or dismissive faces greeted him.

“What I thought,” he said looking at them. “A true warrior does not cling to a fantasy. He sees the reality around him. So will you? I am not olo'eyktan any more, Jake is. Tyso attempted to replace him and failed.”

“B _ e _ cause you beat him to death,” Takuk pointed out.

“I did that to protect the honour of my olo'eyktan!” Tsu’tey snapped. “I hope you would do the same some day.”

Takuk looked away, muttering something below his breath. Tsu’tey looked at him disapprovingly, he was acting like a child, not a true warrior.

“There will be some sky people visiting us soon. They are here to help Norm with his uniltaron. I hope there will not be trouble,” he warned.

“I see Jake is already changing his agreement,” Iengo' said. “First the sky people are allowed to return to our land. Now they are to come into hometree,”

“He’s talking about the ones already here. The dreamwalkers,” Atan corrected.

“Correct,” Tsu’tey confirmed. “Norm won’t perform the uniltaron without them there to reassure him. A sky person thing.” He left out the base that went along with it of course.

“Then he isn’t strong enough to be part of the clan,” Takuk said. Tsu’tey scowled at him.

Tyso looked around at his companions. “Look I don’t have a problem with Norm being part of the clan. While he is a dreamwalker and a sky person he did save my life and does seem to see. If he needs sky people around to become one of the people that is fine by me,” he said, stepping forward to stand next to Tsu’tey.

“Thank you Atan,” he said, he had hoped Atan would come over.

“That doesn’t mean I am going to like the sky people,” Atan warned. “I think letting anymore of them join the clan without proving themselves like Norm did would be a mistake. But at the same time it is not enough to die over.” That would have to do, Tsu’tey thought.

“I always knew you were never fully committed Atan!” Takuk shouted.

“Oh fuck off!” Atan fired back, making an obscene gesture.

Tsu’tey snapped his foot down before a fight could break out. “Alright!” he shouted, stopping everyone. “Atan has made up his mind, you either accept the situation or leave. So who is staying and who is leaving the clan?” Ultimately only Takuk and Iengo' decided to leave. There was a short ceremony where Jake and Mo’at blessed their future, gifts were given with tearful goodbyes and then they disappeared into the jungle. Tsu’tey hoped they would find happiness in another clan somewhere.


	9. Chapter 9

Tsu’tey circled his ikran around the sky people flying machine as it carried the metal shack through the sky. While the lifting power of the sky people machine impressed him, there were clearly limits to its abilities given how slowly it was moving. He physically could not get his ikran to fly slow enough without crashing, so he was stuck circling around it like some carrion eat giving the craft some protection from any threats.

Finally, just as they were approaching the area of hometree, another rider arrived to take over. With a slightly grumpy shout of acknowledgement Tsu’tey swooped on ahead to the location they had eventually chosen for the new ‘exchange centre’ as Norm was calling it. It was the base of a cliff where a large tree had fallen several years ago creating a break in the canopy big enough to let one of the flying machines land. One of them had already delivered another of the shacks and several sky people were toiling around the site.

Tsu’tey brought his ikran to land at the top of the cliff and then leap across to a nearby tree to get down to the ground. A couple of the sky people looked up in alarm at his descent, reaching for weapons. Tsu’tey stood on the top of the fallen tree trunk, advertising his presence. For a second the sky people glowered at him and got on with their work. Tsu’tey was still surprised at how skittish sky people could be. He hadn’t even been hiding his presence.

As he got off the tree trunk he could see Jake, Metzger and the sky person version of Norm talking intently outside of the shack. “I’m still not signing off on it. Without a full fence you’re too vulnerable,” Metzger was saying.

“We didn’t have any fences at site 26,” Norm replied. “Oh! Hi Tsu’tey!” he added, setting Tsu’tey walking up.

“But at site 26 you were on top of a floating mountain. Here’s there’s nothing stopping a viperwolf or a slinger attacking the place,” Metzger pointed out.

“We can protect against those kind of things,” Jake pointed to a couple of sap pods spread out around the perimeter. “How do you think the clan has managed so long?”

“Will they ward off a Thanator?” Metzger asked.

“Well I don’t know about that,” Jake admitted, clearly out of his depth.

“My point. We need a full fence. At the very least a couple of auto-turrets,” Metzger said.

“No,” Norm protested. “This is supposed to be a place where we can come together. No na’vi is going to come here with a machine gun pointed at them.”

“Perhaps a guard could be assigned to watch over the place,” Tsu’tey suggested, joining the conversation at last. “At least for the first few weeks.”

“You’re volunteering?” Jake asked.

“It was my suggestion,” Tsu’tey replied, making a sly glance at Norm. “It would only be appropriate.”

There was a mechanical roar that made everyone look up as the flying machine finally appeared above them with the next shack. Metzger looked down as the rest of the sky people moved to clear the area. “I guess I’m going to be overruled either way,” he said as they all started moving.

“Just make sure you keep a gun at hand and some motion tracking.

“We’ll set up an alarm replay at hometree,” Norm said, reassuring him as they watched the flying machine slowly lower the metal box into position.

“Alright Sampson 9, shack is in position, disconnect and head over to Sampson 15” Metzger said into a radio as the shack touched the ground.

The sky people released the cables holding it to the machine which disappeared from sight towards the open field where they had landed the other flying machine. “It's going to be difficult to resupply this place if we have to lug pallets from the nearest LZ,” Metzger commented as the sky people started work on the new shack. “You’re sure we can’t clear some more of these trees and set up a proper helipad?” Jake, Norm and Tsuy’tey glared at him. “Just a joke,” he muttered, walking off to check on the other sky people.

After a while the sky people declared that the first shack they had brought was ready. “Want to see the new place?” he asked, walking over to access the shack, climbing up the stairs to the box-like passageway they had constructed between the two buildings. “Obviously you can only look in through the window,” he added, pausing at the entrance hatch. Tsu’tey leaned in place to look at the tiny area of what he assumed was living space. Even on a sky person scale it seemed confined compared to the rooms he had seen at their base or in Norm’s recordings. “You expect to live in this thing?” he asked.

“Please, I had to share the same amount of space with Jake, Grace and Trudy for a month or two. Being by myself is going to be a luxury,” Norm replied, going through the hatch.

Tsu’tey turned to look over the site. The sky people were setting up a simple fence, much smaller than the ones that surrounded their bases to keep animals at a distance and with the cliff face behind them and the tree trunk on one side it was a pretty secure location. He certainly knew of villages set up in similar locations.

There was a tapping behind him. He turned to see Norm knocking on the window. Tsu’tey smiled as he looked at him. While out of that covering mask Norm looked more relaxed, more natural. Almost like his dreamwalker body. He put his hand on the glass, oddly cold to the touch. He wondered how it was made. Norm smiled and put his hand on the other side, attempting to line his fingers up with Tsu’tey but struggling with the extra digit, trying out different ways of bunching the fingers up.

There was a clang inside the shack as a sky person with a set of boxes entered. Norm snapping his hand down, clearly embarrassed. Tsu’tey sighed and lowered his own. Norm always seemed to be embarrassed about their relationship. It wasn’t right to be so reluctant to express their to be mated status. “You mind helping us unload stuff from the Sampsons?” Metzger asked, dropping out a set of crates .

“Sure,” Tsu’tey said, walking with him towards the flying machines.

When he returned, carrying two of the larger crates he was surprised to see Norm in his dream walker body helping out with setting up the sap pods to keep predators away from the camp. “I didn’t expect you to be in that body so quickly,” he said, putting the crates down.

“They’d gotten the first link unit operational,” Norm explained as he kept on working. “I’m currently a guinea pig as they fine tune the link. These mobile wants aren’t as stable.

“Guinea pig?”

“Um.. suppose fwampop fits the best,” Norm corrected after a moment's thought. His hand suddenly slipped, dropping the tool he was using. “Hey guys, what are you doing? I’m losing fine motor control” he shouted towards the second shack.

“Afraid you’re going to have to unlink,” one of the sky people replied, sticking his head through the hatch.

“OK, give me a minute,” Norm called back. “Might as well test out the sleeping area,” he added to Tsu’tey and walked over to where two beds had been set up from discarded packing cases and covered by a cover.

“Doesn’t look very comfortable,” Tsu’tey commented as Norm laid down on one of them.

“Well thankfully I’m not going to be feeling it for long,” he replied, closing his eyes. “Though perhaps we can set up some hammocks at some point,” he added.

“Perhaps a single hammock would be more appropriate,” Tsu’tey suggested, before realising that Norm was already unconscious.

After a few minutes sky person Norm appeared from the hatch. “Sorry about that, they’re realigning the link. You were saying something when the link cut,” he said.

“It does not matter,” Tsu’tey said.

“You’re sure?”

“Perhaps, when everyone has gone.” Tsu’tey walked over to help Jake set up the remaining animal repellent pods while Metzger and a sky person scientist looked on.

Pretty soon the base was complete. “You’ve made incredible progress,” Jake commented as the sky people started packing up. “I thought it would take you weeks.”

“Well that was assuming clearance and greater defences,” Metzger said tapping the fence barely higher than himself. “Then again it's nice to work on a project without having half your men on security.”

“Speaking of which,” he added, picking up a stick and turning to the cabins, “Final check on the motion alarm!” he called out.

“Armed!” came a cry back. Metzger hurled the stick into the air and into the undergrowth. Both Tsu’tey and Jake hissed as an ear splitting alarm blared out.

“Cut it!” Metzger ordered and the sound died. “Well it looks like the motion detectors work. Though it looks like its gone from high frequency parts that only you can hear,” he noted.

“It certainly does,” Tsu’tey said somewhat sharply. Why did the sky people always build stuff that only considered themselves.

“I’m sure we can tweak it. At least we won’t be missing it if something does get close.” Norm pointed out.

“I suppose so,” Tsu’tey said. He would have preferred to simply rely on his sixth sense for incoming danger but realised that Norm in his sky person body inside the metal box wouldn’t be able to sense anything.

“You’re not going to stay the night?” Jake asked as the sky people started leaving the site.

“Nah. We should get back before night fall,” Metzger said looking up at the shifting sky. “The shack doesn’t have enough beds and I doubt most of us want to camp overnight. Even with your assistance.”

“Makes sense. Was kind of forgetting what it was like. I’ll arrange and escort,” Jake said.

“Thanks,” Metzger responded, as the last of the other sky people disappeared from sight.

Jake turned to them as Metzger left. “I’ll leave you to settle in,” he said, looking around.

“Yeah, I’ve still got to unpack,” Norm said.

“You’ll be eating with the clan?” Jake added, starting to move in the direction of hometree.

“Of course,” Tsu’tey replied. Just because he was the Norm’s, sorry the base's guard didn’t mean he wasn’t going to be still involved in the clan.

“Just make sure to leave a spot for us. I’ll eat something for this body first,” Norm added.

“Ok, just don’t be late,” Jake said. “Mind turning off the alarm?”

“Sure,” Norm said, hitting a button on a panel.

“See,” he said, pressing the panel again after Jake had disappeared. “I told you I could get us our own space.”

“You are smarter than you sometimes look,” Tsu’tey said, then realised that was an insult.

“Don’t worry I know what you mean,” Norm reassured him. “Still it's not like we aren’t going to need a place like this.

“I’m still not sure why you wanted this so much,” Tsu’tey relieved that Norm didn’t mind the slip up. “I think our current situation was acceptable,”

“Might be for you, but think about it from my perspective. Once I unlink I’m back at Hell’s Gate and it might as well be another world. One of the reasons I was so reluctant to show my feeling about you,” Norm explained, moving over. Tsu’tey sat down to be more on Norm’s level. “It feels like I’m in some weird long distance relationship. Lost a couple of partners that way. While if I’m here with you,” he continued, putting his hand on Tsu’tey’s hand.

“I like your thinking,” Tsu’tey said, finding Norm’s almost childlike form somewhat distracting. “Though I am not sure this is the time to explore that particular body of yours. The clan is expecting us.” Though he had to admit, the idea was, intriguing and undeniably erotic.

“Shit, yeah I suppose I better grab a ration pack,” Norm said, racing for the shack.

As the door slammed shut Tsu’tey looked around the site. Beyond the na’vi repellent pods there wasn’t anything na’vi about the place at all. Everything smelt of sky people. He would have to correct that. This place was supposed to be a melding of the two worlds after all. Of course he didn’t have much to worth so he settled for building a simple fire pit with stones and brushwood. It was basic and probably unnecessary but it was a start, he sketched some marks into the soil  _ a _ round it  _ w _ ith his toe. Recr _ e _ ating the flowing lines of a village in miniature.

“What are you doing?” Norm’s voice suddenly asked. Tsu’tey looked up to see Norm standing by the window, illuminated by the light of the shack, a tray of something in one hand and a device with a cord pressed against his ear and mouth.

“Just planning out the future,” Tsu’tey replied. “How are you able to speak like this?”

“Intercom,” Norm said, his voice louder than it could possibly be through the glass and from a different point. “Microphone by the door. Means you don’t have to enter and exit just to ask a question.”

“Makes sense,” Tsu’tey replied, sitting down on the ground. “What’s the food like?”

“It’s mainly rehydrated soya,” Norm said, sticking a spoon of food into his mouth. “Nutritionally balanced but bland as hell. One of the downsides of being out here.”

“Would you prefer a teylu instead?”

“In my avatar body sure. Believe me this tastes better than the stuff we had for the avatars,” Norm joked. “Though I’m not sure how this body would react to one.”

“Want to find out?” Tsu’tey asked, half seriously.

“Once I’ve run a toxicity report on it,” Norm replied.

“You are afraid of taking a risk?” Tsu’tey asked, almost daring him.

“Oh no, I’ll take a risk in this body. I am out here all alone. But I won’t jump into the unknown either,” Norm replied.

“You did during iknimaya, plus you have got me to protect you,” Tsu’tey pointed out.

“You know what I mean Tsu’tey,” Norm said, tapping on the glass with his fork between mouthfuls of food.

Finally Norm finished his meal. “Okay, hold on,” he said disappearing from the window. Tsu’tey walked over to Norm’s sleeping dream walker body. After several minutes Norm stirred to life. “Ow!” he said, rubbing his back as he got off his bed. “This bed was a mistake.”

“I told you a hammock would be better,” Tsu’tey said.

“You might be onto something,” Norm commented, stretching. “What other na’vi items do you think we should have?”

“I’ve got a few ideas,” Tsu’tey admitted. “But let’s talk about them as we get to hometree. I’m getting hungry.”

“Sorry,” Norm said, looking up at the darkening sky. “Being in a shack makes keeping track of time hard.” Hanging a remote for the security system around his neck, Norm followed Tsu’tey off into the jungle. While the journey to hometree wasn’t too long, Tsu’tey wanted to see if they couldn’t cut that down a bit.

Tsu’tey dipped his fingers in the paint and slowly rubbed them across Norm’s chest, leaving long white stripes. Norm twitched as Tsu’tey brushed his nipple as he worked. “I told you to stop that,” Tsu’tey warned.

“Sorry,” Norm replied, focusing on remaining still. “Just usually a person doing this is a precursor to sex.”

“Not this time,” Tsu’tey replied. Norm was so very sky people sometimes. Everything had to be a single state or purpose, instead of one thing having innumerable uses. “Unless you want to afterwards,” he added, naughtily. Norm tried not to laugh and stay still.

* * *

Tsu’tey grunted as one of his fingers ran up against the adhesive strip of one of the sensors Norm was wearing to monitor what was about to happen. “Do you have to wear these?” he asked, running over the strip. They stood out, ruining the pattern he had attempted to create.

“Yeah sorry, the team wants to see if this body reacts in sync to my real one during the process,” Norm explained.

“You mean your sky person body,” Tsu’tey corrected. Norm was supposed to be both na’vi and sky people now.

“Right, just a hard habit to break,” Norm said, reaching up to the headset he was wearing. “You’re reading me ok, Max?” he spoke into it.

“Yeah, reading you loud and clear and the rest of the sensors coming in within tolerances,” Max replied over a speaker. Tsu’tey had to lean in to hear it. “Also you two need to get a room,” he added.

“Shit,” Norm muttered, checking the headset. “Though it was on push to talk,”

“Doesn’t matter, the tapes aren’t rolling and none of the others are listening in,” Max reassured him. “Just remember to tell us when you’re about to do it,”

“Will do,” Norm replied, blushing slightly as he made sure the setting was correct this time.

“What did he mean, get a room? We are already alone here,” Tsu’tey asked.

“He means we should get it over with and have sex. Preferably where he isn’t listening” Norm explained.

“After you’re one of the people,” Tsu’tey replied. Though in truth he’d probably would have bonded with him without that technicality.

It was a short walk to the uniltaron chamber at the heart of the tree. The particular chamber seemed to be a natural formation of a hometree. In the old hometree a similar chamber had been used for various rituals beyond uniltaron. Mo’at had used it for meditation and counselling. A few people had already gathered around the entrance as they approached. They knew that if he was successful Norm would be declared one of the clan.

“I must warn you,” Tsu’tey said, stopping them at the entrance. “Your uniltaron will still be a great test. On par with iknimaya. Not everyone is successful.”

“Now you tell me,” Norm commented.

“But I have complete faith that you will succeed,” Tsu’tey added, kissing him. “My love.” Norm looked into his eyes and smiled.

“Thanks,” he said and moved his hand to the headset. “Okay Max, we’re about to begin,” he said and switched the settings. While the sky people could record Norm’s body's reaction to the uniltaron they could not record or overhear the actual event. Max would only speak in an emergency. That done they stepped over the boundary.

The small group seated in a circle turned to look at them as they entered. Mo’at, Jake, Neytiri and the few elders that were still with them. Tsu’tey took his place in the circle as leader of the hunt while Norm kneeled in the centre. Seeing everyone has ready Mo’at rose. “Oh wise worm, eater of the sacred tree,” she chanted, blowing intensely from a smouldering bundle over Norm. “Bless this worthy hunter with a true vision,” she continued, drawing a eltungawng from a container. Continuing the chant she lowered the glowing worm into Norm’s mouth. Struggling for a moment Norm was able to swallow the worm without choking. Impressive Tsu’tey thought, he’d had to see how far that ability went later on. Disgusted that he had let such thoughts exist during such a holy event he regained his focus.

Somewhat cautiously Jake, starting the next phase reached his hand into a pot and lifted out a kali'weya. Clearly afraid that it sting him instead, Jake slowly advanced towards Norm as everyone in the chamber continued the chant. The black, insect scrambled around in Jake’s hand. Jake tried to keep it under control but had to let it move from one hand to another to avoid dropping it. Tsu’tey saw Neytiri make a concerned look. Clearly it had not just been him and Norm that had been preparing for this.

Jake was finally in position behind Norm, agitating the kali'weya with his finger so it raised this thorax to sting. “Here it comes,” he whispered and placed the kali'weya against Norm’s shoulder. The kali'weya slashed out, penetrating Norm’s skin. Norm cried out in pain as the venom burned in his blood. Tsu’tey knew what it was like, despite everything he had experienced he could still remember the pain.

Mo’at blew another waft of incense over Norm as he became unsteady, his movement sluggish, the venom was having its effect. The group moved in to examine his reaction, Norm tried to pull back at this, looking around wildly as if in fear. The group pulled back, giving Norm some space. He seemed to calm down, becoming more serene in his movements. “Here comes the sun,” he suddenly sang in an alien melody. “Here comes the sun. And I say it’s all right,” he continued, looking around the room as if confused. Then he collapsed onto the floor, writhing in pain.

“Now we await his return,” Mo’at said, continuing to blow incense over Norm as he struggled.

“An interesting song,” Tsu’tey noted, trying to take his mind off watching his future mate in pain. “What is it?”

“Here comes the sun,” Jake replied, also somewhat put off by Norm’s pain. “It's a song by the Beatles, an old earth band. Did I sing during mine?” he added.

“No you did not,” Neytiri replied. Both her and Mo’at looked disapprovingly for talking instead of concentrating on Norm.

For another minute Norm continued to lie on the ground, shaking and twitching. “Is this supposed to last this long?” Jake asked.

“Sometimes. Perhaps the worm did not give him a successful vision,” Mo’at replied.

“Neither have the sky people spoken,” Neytiri pointed out.

“Either way I’d like you to get that antivenom r _ ea _ dy,” Jake ordered. Mo’at looked reproachful. It was bad form to administer kali'weya antivenom during a uniltaron. Then again Tsu’tey realised. It was never a specific rule saying so.

Suddenly Norm screamed and burst up  _ o _ ff the floor, gasping for breath. “It is finished!” Mo’at said, looking proud at Norm, then triumphantly at Jake.

“You're sure it's over?” Norm asked.

“Yes,” Tsu’tey said, pulling Norm to his feet.

“Good. Never make me do that again,” Norm replied, making a weak smile. Tsu’tey laughed at that. “Lets see what the damage is,” he said, and moved out of the circle and activated the headset. “Max, it's over. What’s the story?” he asked.

“Norm! Good to hear your voice. We feared you weren’t going to make it,” Max’s voice came from the speaker. Tsu’tey leaned in close to hear him properly.

“That bad?” Norm asked.

“Seriously, we thought your avatar was going into shock when the venom hit your system, and was even destabilising your real brain. Carter was all for bringing you out there and then but I was able to talk him out of it.”

“Good job. I don’t want to have to do that a second time,” Norm noted.

“Yeah. Anyway you vital signs stabilise, still out of whack but stable. Then both of your brains go into overload. We’re talking LSD level but off the scale. And then things get super weird.”

“How do you mean?”

“Well some kind of interference starts up on the link itself, but not actually destabilising it. Almost like a second neural pattern,” Max replied.

“That’s impossible,” Norm pointed out. Tsu’tey could barely keep up with the conversation by this point and was going purely on Norm’s reaction.

“I know, it doesn't match anything we have on file either. Your avatar’s body is returning to normal but we’re still showing elevated brain activity in both brains. You’re feeling any different?”

“I’ve just been stung psychoactive venom and gone through a vision, what do you think?” Norm snapped back.

“You can fill us in on what you experienced when you unlink. We’re still processing the sensor data,” Max said.

“Okay, I’ll be with you soon, out!” Norm said and ended the conversation.

“Looks like they want me over at the site,” he said, turning to the group.

“I think there is something we need to do first,” Jake said, stepping forward. Norm paused for a second before he realised what Jake meant.

“You mean this is finally it? I’m finally one of the clan?” he asked, taken aback.

“Well you have passed every test,” Tsu’tey pointed out. “Now there is no reason he cannot deny you your right.”

“Correct. Now let's make you one of the people officially,” Jake said, heading towards the exit. As Mo’at, Neytiri and the others filed out of the chamber Tsu’tey looked at Norm.

“And let us make our mating official,” he said, holding Norm’s hand and he walked out into the light.

Norm stood in the centre of the main chamber as the clan gathered around him. Tsu’tey stood next to him, grinning with pride while Jake stood over the scene. Once almost the entire clan was there Jake stepped forward and looked at Norm. “You are now a son of the Omaticaya. You are part of The People,” he said, putting his hands on Norm’s shoulders. “As if you weren’t already,” he whispered to Norm.

Tsu’tey smiled as he placed his hands on Norm as well. One of the shoulder, the formal position and one on his chest. One by one na’vi did the same, joining together, shoulder to shoulder. A single united clan. Tsu’tey even saw Atan in the crowd. He savoured the moment, this ceremony was always deeply symbolic but this one was something more to him. Now Norm really was part of the clan and no one could ever take that away from him. Whatever body he walked in.

“So what happens now?” Norm asked as everyone disconnected and started returning to their work.

“Well I think we’ve got Tìyora' dream hunt and his induction,'' Jake replied. “Then I was thinking of another party to celebrate our new members. If that's all right?” he added.

“You are the olo'eyktan, you can decide,” Tsu’tey pointed out.

“Okay, that's what we’ll do,” Jake decided.

“So does this mean I can get this paint off?” Norm asked, rubbing at it.

“A warrior should take pride in his war paint,” Tsu’tey said, disapprovingly. “But if it is bothering you that much I’ll take you to clean it off along with removing those sky people devices,” he added more softly.

“Might be for the best,” Norm admitted. Waving goodbye to Jake they headed towards the stream.

Down at the stream they worked to get the ceremonial paint off. They’d already stripped away the various sensors Norm had been wearing before they went in, leaving them in a pile next to their clothes. “So what do you mean, about making our love official?” Norm asked as Tsu’tey poured water over his back.

“I mean make tsaheylu and make love under the eye of Eywa,” Tsu’tey explained, playfully flicking Norm’s tswin.

“Is that all? I expected my marriage to be more involved,” Norm commented.

“We only need to declare it to Eywa,” Tsu’tey said, the rest of the clan would know very quickly. Their status together was already a known quantity. “But if you insist I suppose we could do some of your sky people ceremonies,” He added, rubbing the paint away.

“I don’t think Glenn would know which one to use. Anyway I’ve never been too bothered about that,'' Norm joked.

“So when we’re making love, how are we intending to, you know, do it?” Norm asked as Tsu’tey continued his work.

“Mainly the tail along with our hands and mouths,” Tsu’tey said, running his hand along the base of Norm’s tail as he wiped away the pain on his ass. While it was true that the physical act of love making was not pleasurable between males, during tsaheylu you couldn’t feel the difference. So that’s what he’d heard.

“That all?” Norm asked.

“What other way could there be?” Did the sky people have some extra sexual appendage he didn’t know about? Their dream walker bodies seemed so normal. Norm seemed to laugh at this. “What is it?” Tsu’tey asked.

“Oh, its just that I’d never thought I’d be the one to introduce anal to an alien culture,” Norm explained.

“Anal?” Tsu’tey stumbled over the unfamiliar word. His eyes lit up as Norm whispered the details into his ear while miming the action. It sounded disgusting let at the same time undeniable erotic.

It was only as they were getting out of the stream Norm noticed that his headset was buzzing loudly. “Hello?” he said, hurriedly putting it back on.

“Where the hell have you been?” Max’s voice came through. “You’d said you’d be with us shortly.”

“Sorry,” Norm apologised. “Jake had to induct me into the clan officially and I got sidetracked. I’ll be right over.

“I thought the idea of this was you'd balance your real body and avatar time?” Max said.

“I said I got sidetracked. Not every day you do this,” Norm said, ending the call. “Well looks like we better get over to the camp,” he said, gathering up the pile of sensors.

“He may be right about you balancing your lives,” Tsu’tey said. “Especially with me as your mate,”

“We’ll see about that, I’m still taking every day one at a time,” Norm replied.

* * *

They arrived at the shack to see Max waiting for them. A couple of bored guards wandering around the perimeter. “Ah there you are,” he said.

“Apologies,” Norm repeated, taking a moment to recover from the run to the shack.

“Sure,” Max said, clearly noticing their still damp hair. “You want to delink and we can go over the results?” he added, turning his head towards the shack. Norm glanced at Tsu’tey.

“If it's all the same I’d prefer to do it in this body. Still got na’vi time to burn,” he said.

“You really meant it about trying to be both,” Max commented. “Alright I’ll drag Carter out and we can go over the things.”

Tsu’tey looked around the site as Max went off to get this Carter. They hadn’t been here long but already he had made it more na’vi. They’d scavenged a pair of hammocks and hung them between the trees, kept them off the forest floor and the random bugs that still crawled in as Norm had found to his horror one morning. They had also borrowed a couple of mats to go to the ground around the first pit which had produced several good meals, even if Norm’s human body had yet to sample them. They’d even started work on a totem to dedicate the site. It currently made up of trophies from their hunts but Norm had suggested using wire as part of the structure along with twine. While he had been reluctant to mix traditional materials with sky people metal, Tsu’tey had had to admit the results had been intriguing.

The door banged open, disrupting his thoughts. Max had appeared with another sky person. They clustered around a portable holographic projector set up under a covering. Norm sat on the ground while Tsu’tey squatted as Max and the new sky person, Carter talked about the uniltaron using words Tsu’tey barely understood. Carter was an older sky person, bundled into an armoured vest and helmet like the sky person soldiers while Max simply wore a whitish robe. He kept glancing over at Tsu’tey as if he was about to attack him. Tsu’tey ignored such usual sky person behaviour. “So at this point your linked brain's neurochemistry shifts significantly,” Carter said, moving the recording on the hologram forward a bit. “You would have been experiencing significant perception alterations at this point. What did you experience?” He looked over at Norm.

“You can say that again. This would have been about the time I was seeing everything as if it was a neural map. My own hand, Mo’at, the others, even the tree, felt like I could even see or perhaps feel the rest of the clan outside of the room” Norm explained.

“Interesting,” Carter commented. “You’re certain you thought it was a neural map? Not an x-ray view or just distinct shapes?”

“No I’m certain,” Norm continued. “You could see, feel the mental pulses, even of the tree itself. Then it moved into more of an out of body experience as I was kind of sucked away by one of the tree’s pulses and I started to see the network of the forest. Everything comes together at a central point. Becoming a single pulse.”

“The tree of souls. You experienced Eywa,” Tsu’tey said. He had experienced something similar during his uniltaron.

“Or a burst of lines caused by the hallucinogens in your system, given greater meaning by your religious beliefs,” Carter suggested.

“Try to be tactful,” Max muttered as Tsu’tey looked at Carter disapprovingly. It was clear that Carter would never be a true friend of the people. He wondered why he had ever been allowed to remain.

“Apologies. I meant no offence” Carter muttered.

“None taken,” Norm replied. Tsu’tey thought about voicing his own.

“Did you see anything after that?” Carter continued before he could say anything.

“Yeah I saw a kenten, sorry, fan lizard, spinning in the jungle at night,” Norm said.

Interesting, Tsu’tey thought. A uniltaron helped reveal a warrior’s destiny though an animal. His own had been an ikran, the sign of a leader and a warrior. Some openly described what they had seen while others kept it a personal secret. Most would spend hours debating what it signified. A kenten could symbolise Norm rising in rank in the clan or simply bringing joy to the world. He certainly had done to himself. Jake had not told anyone in the clan that he had seen a toruk during his own uniltaron. That might have changed things between them sooner.

“Sounds like an old native American spirit animal,” Carter commented.

“Native American?” Tsu’tey asked.

“That’s a long story,” Max commented.

“Yeah,” Norm said, clearing trying not to get sidetracked. “anyway this is when the really weird shit happens?”

“Even more than seeing the planet’s neural network?” Carter pointed out.

“Yeah. I think I saw Grace.”

Tsu’tey sat up at this. That was impossible. You did not experience visions of other people during a uniltaron. In all the stories and songs that had never happened. “So I suppose this brings us to the big event,” Carter said and clicked at Max to move the hologram on to show a regularly jagged line which suddenly became frantic. “So at this time stamp your link signals from your avatar unit becomes wildly distorted yet at the same time it doesn’t lose alignment. Max almost described it as like there was another brain pattern in the link at the same time. I will admit I don’t see it personally, it looks more like a late stage reaction to the psychoactive drugs in your system interfering with the transmitter nodes. We ran some experiments that showed something similar years ago.”

“Yeah but back then it totally crashed the link,” Max pointed out. “So what did she say?” he asked Norm.

“She didn’t say anything to me directly. She seemed lost and confused as if she didn’t know where she was. I think we were in the jungle. I’ll admit things were getting really dreamlike at this point,” he replied, pointing up to the canopy above them to illustrate his point. “She seemed to be calling out to someone, I couldn’t hear who. Then she turned to me, clearly seeing me and called out my name. It was at that point I’m back in the real world coughing my guts up.”

“Well this is more the kind of thing I was expecting from this dream hunt,” Carter said. “sounds like when you were in the hallucinogenic state your subconscious reacted to your feelings over her death. I know it certainly hit the department greatly.”

“Its possible,” Norm admitted, after a moment's thought. “Her death did shock me, despite only knowing her a few months. But that still doesn’t explain the disruption on the link signal.”

“Don’t know,” Carter admitted. “Perhaps the interference from the avatar unit caused your brain to start digging around in your mind. We did see an increase in activity there during the entire event.”

“Not a very sound theory,” Max commented.

“You know this is pushing beyond our fields, Patel,” Carter snapped. “What other alternative hypotheses can you offer us? That the ghost of Dr Augustine, even if she exists within the Eywa construct, somehow, remotely mind you, meshed with the link signal to attempt to communicate with Norm? That trees achieved something back on Earth they are still in the theoretical phase of development?!” Both Max and Norm looked away silently. “Look, Pandora breaks the laws of what’s possible every day,” Carter admitted, calming down from his outburst. “But there are some limits on what’s possible even for me.”

“So what are our findings about the long term effects?” Norm asked, trying to move on.

“Well you didn’t exactly give us very long to see before you jumped back on,” Max pointed out without some annoyance.

“It was a good thing he did,” Tsu’tey said.

“True,” Max admitted. “But we did see a regression in abnormal activity in your human brain.”

“And my avatar brain?” Norm asked.

“No change,” Carter replied. “That suggests that brain changes there are permanent. More worrying is that since you started using the link again the abnormal activity in your real brain returned to previous levels. The mean your avatar brain is always going to be attempting to rewrite your real one.”

“So you mean the only way to stop this is to stop using my avatar for good?” Norm asked.

“Yes,” Carter replied bluntly.

Norm took a deep breath and glanced over at Tsu’tey. Is he really going to give up that body? Tsu’tey thought. Not after they were nearly mates. Could their relationship really work as a na’vi and a sky person? The idea hadn’t even crossed his mind until now. Norm looked back to Carter. “I suppose the big question is are these changes dangerous? Do we have any further findings,” he asked.

“No,” Carter admitted. “Every single psych test showed no major personality change.. You’re using na’vi words in normal conversation sometimes but when you’ve speaking it so much that can happen. Could see a sign that you're starting to think in the language but I can’t exactly declare that as a sign of personality replacement. Do you have any desire to undergo that conscious transfer thing?” he added.

“No,” Norm replied.

“Good, I’m using that as my red line,” Carter explained. “I don’t know why Sully decided to do it in the first place,” he muttered.

“He truly wanted to be one of the people,” Tsu’tey said. “Not that that is a requirement,” he added when Norm looked over at him.

“Noted,” Norm said reassuringly. “But apart from that you can’t say these changes aren’t negative?” he added.

“Not currently,” Carter admitted. “But I’m more worried about additional changes that might take place once the current changes lock in. Stuff that might really start changing your personality. I’d advise spending sometime with some other humans around, not here all the time.” he continued pointing to the shack behind them. “Plus some strict human only days. Given how much you were pining to get back into that body I’d say you have developed an addiction to being in that body. That alone should be enough for you to ration being in it,” Carter noted.

“Oh come on Carter, everyone does that after a while,” Norm protested.

“Not to the level I’ve seen. Then again perhaps it is not about being in the link itself.” Carter looked over at Tsu’tey with a wily smile.

“Look we’re not trying to tell you what to do,” Max cut in as Norm bridled under the obvious suggestion. “We’re just laying out the facts and giving you the choice on where to go from here. I know you’ll make the best choice,” he added.

“Thank you,” Norm said, looking at Tsu’tey. “I agree with your suggestion about human only periods and keeping track of any personality changes. But I want to find my own way through this.”

“Okay. I understand. Just remember we’ll be there when you need us,” Max replied, turning off the hologram. “By the way, how’s the shack holding up?” he added as he and Carter started packing up their equipment.

“Not doing too badly,” Norm admitted, giving them a hand. “The repellent pods seem to be keeping most stuff away. Had a problem with stingbats at one point but Tsu’tey was able to get rid of them,”

“Ritis scare easily,” Tsu’tey explained. Norm had refused to leave the shack until Tsu’tey had chased the flock away.

“I hope you’re making notes. Sarah and Ilram will want to know about all those fine details,” Max said.

“I’ll get right on that,” Norm admitted. Tsu’tey knew he had spent very little time documenting his work and most of it in his avatar body instead.

“Do you think we are too obvious?” Norm asked him as the scientists and their guards disappeared into the jungle towards their transport.

“About what?” Tsu’tey asked back.

“You know, us being boyfriends?” he replied, pointing between them. “If even Carter can pick up on it perhaps...”

“… Perhaps he should be open about who he is mated,” Tsu’tey finished his sentence, leaning in to kiss Norm. “You shouldn’t hide who you are,” he added. They savoured the kiss for a moment.

“Yeah I know,” Norm replied, ending the kiss. “It's just still a little weird, a human and na’vi you know. Never been too great dealing with relationships in public.”

“I thought you said you were also a na’vi?”

“You know what I mean,” Norm scolded, smiling.

“Though if you are really concerned about it, perhaps we should make our mating official.” Tsu’tey ran a hand down Norm’s back.

“You mean, have sex?” he asked.

“You sky people can be so vulgar sometimes. Mating is about more than sex,” Tsu’tey said. “But I’m definitely planning to do it,” he hand reached Norm’s tail.

“Okay!” Norm giggled, slipping out of his grip. “But we’ve got some preparation to do first he said, walking towards the storage area they’d set up.

“What kind of things?”

“You’ll see.”

* * *

“I still do not get why all this setup is required,” Tsu’tey complained as he fiddled with his loincloth. Norm had insisted they squirt water into their asses. The results was hardly erotic and still stung.

“Yeah setup is a bitch but I as far as I know you don’t have STDs but I’m still taking as many precautions as possible before we go barebacking,” Norm explained. “Trust me poop dick isn’t fun.”

“Barebacking?”

“Anal without protection. They never exactly made condoms in avatar sizes.”

“What is a condom?”

“You know what, it will take too long to explain,” Norm said, putting his head in his hand. “Let's just get on with it.”

Tsu’tey moved quickly, putting a hand around his waist and kissing him on the mouth. Norm reciprocated, returning the kiss, trying to force his tongue into Tsu’tey’s mouth. Tsu’tey let him in and ran his hand alone Norm’s tail. Norm bucked a bit as he touched the most sensitive spot. Norm could never get used to having a tail.

“Not so quickly,” Norm said, breaking the kiss for a second before returning. For a while they simply kissed and explored each other's bodies before Tsu’tey decided to move things alone and pushed Norm’s loincloth. “Like what you see?” he asked as Tsu’tey examined his hardened member.

“Yes,” Tsu’tey replied, reaching down to stroke it. Norm’s cock was actually longer than his and had a protective covering over the head. And sensitive; he gasped as Tsu'tey ran his thumb over the head, watching how the skin moved under his touch.

“Hey!” Norm said, pulling away. “Let me see yours at least,” he said, reaching out to pull away Tsu’tey’s loincloth

“Like what you see?” Tsu’tey asked.

“Yes,” Norm admitted, running a hand along Tsu’tey own hardened dick. “But it's that ass I’m more interested in,” he added leaning over to look at Tsu’tey’s rear.

“You have a pretty fine one yourself,” Tsu’tey said, looking at Norm’s. He suddenly felt a hand grasp his buttock. “You move quickly,” he noted.

“Well what can I say, I’m hungry to claim my prize,” Norm explained.

“Then claim your prize,” he said, Norm wasn’t so shy when he was motivated.

He let Norm gently push him onto the mat they had prepared earlier. Tsu’tey let Norm explore his body, sucking on his nipples for a while until Tsu’tey had to explain it wasn’t doing anything for him. Must be a sky person thing, he made a note to see how Norm would react. He gasped slightly as Norm moved his mouth to his cock, licking the tip. The feeling of someone else touching him there made everything more intense. Seeing he was starting to enjoy it a bit too much, Norm paused in his order and reached over to the sky person sized bottle he’d left by the mat. He poured a lot of the contents into his hand. “What is that stuff?” Tsu’tey asked.

“Lube,” Norm explained. “Believe me you don’t want to take me dry.”

“Then why are you putting it on your hand?”

“I have to stretch you out first,” he replied, turning him over.

Tsu’tey bit his lip, this was new territory for him. Still he trusted that Norm knew what he was doing. He gripped Tsu’tey’s ass and slowly slipped a finger in. Tsu’tey grunted as he did so. “Not painful is it?” Norm asked, stopping.

“No,” he replied. Just the feeling felt so unnatural, so unique. A foreign object inside of him, shifting around without warning.

“Okay, I’m going to fully in,” Norm said and pushed his finger in up to the knuckle. Tsu’tey bucked as Norm hit something that sent pleasure throughout his body. “See you liked that,” Norm commented, withdrawing his finger. “Not imagine what my cock is going to feel like.”

This time Norm used two fingers to probe Tsu’tey’s ass. “God your asshole is tight,” he commented as he worked. You could say that again Tsu’tey thought. He could feel his ass muscles stretching around Norm’s fingers, not painfully yet but he hoped Norm’s cock wasn’t too much larger. “Its fine,” he lied.

“Good,” Norm said, withdrawing his hand. “I’d hate you to chicken out at this stage.”

“What’s a chicken?”

“Never mind, human thing,” Norm said, moving up to stand over Tsu’tey. “Alright, I’m coming in.” he added.

Tsu’tey braced himself as Norm slowly pushed inside. He hissed as his ass stretched to take Norm’s cock. Despite all the lube and earlier work by Norm’s fingers it still hurt. How could this lead to pleasure? “Hang on,” Norm said, seeing Tsu’tey’s pain. “This is the hardest part, I remembered I hated it too first time I did it.” He slowly kept pushing his cock deeper into Tsu’tey. “Tell me when you can’t take it anymore,” he added.

“I don’t think I can now,” Tsu’tey muttered. It felt like Norm was rearranging his insides.

“Ok, let’s just pause and let you get used to it,” Norm said, stopping where he was, half buried into Tsu’tey.

After a few minutes of heavy breathing and flexing his ass muscles Tsu’tey felt like they could continue. The pain hadn’t gone away, but it didn’t feel like he was going to scream out because of it. “Okay let's see how it feels,” Norm and gently started to thrust his cock back and forth. “Oww” he said as he did so.

“This seems to be only giving you pleasure,” Tsu’tey complained.

“Just have to find the right spot,” Norm muttered and pushed in harder this time.

Stars exploded behind Tsu’tey eyes as Norm hit something really good. A soft moan escaped his lips. “See I told you,” Norm said, pausing while grinning.

“You do,” Tsu’tey admitted, the pain was still there but the pleasure was even greater. “Perhaps you can do it again.”

“With pleasure.” Norm started mounding his ass. He moaned again as Norm hit his prostate repeatedly. He could feel himself heading for orgasm already.

“Wait!” he said, there was something they needed to do first.

“What is it?” Norm asked, pausing though clearly wanting to carry on. Tsu’tey reached up and grasped his tswin.

“It is him to make our mating permanent,” he said, offering his tswin to Norm.

“You really want this?” Norm asked, taking hold of his own tswin.

“Of course I want you to be my mate,” Tsu’tey said. Having Norm’s cock buried in him was proof enough of that and they weren’t exactly in the best position for a long debate. Norm brace himself and push their tswin together.

Contact.

Tsu’tey gasped in pain as Norm violently thrust into him. “Fuck!” he shouted.

“Sorry, I just lost control for a second. This is just incredible,” Norm thought, his voice saying it a split second later.

“Wait you can hear me?” he thought, sensing Tsu’tey feeling his thoughts.

“The wonders of tsaheylu between mates,” he thought in reply. So many emotions flowed into his mind. Norm’s embarrassment at causing him pain, his growing wonder as he sampled Tsu’tey’s own mind. The feel of his ass clutching down on Norm’s cock.

“Well if you’re thinking so much about that,” Norm thought and made a gentler thrust. Explosions of pleasure went off in both of their brains as they felt each other respond. “Oh god this is too much,” Norm said, eyes rolling back in their sockets.

“Then slow down,” Tsu’tey suggested. He knew they both wanted to savour this.

For a while they just lay there, Norm slowly shifting backwards and forwards every now and again, both them feeling the waves of ecstasy the action caused, s _ a _ mpling each other emotions. Tsu’tey knew Norm was enraptured by the experience alone, to reach into the mind of another person. While Tsu’tey could sense Norm could read his emotions well enough, he moaned as Norm rubbed his tail at the thought there was almost a metallic taste to Norm’s. A layer of artificiality. “It's probably the link,” Norm thought. “You are after all only sensing a copy of the original.”

“That makes my brain hurt,” Tsu’tey thought.

“How about I take your mind off it?” Norm suggested. Starting up a slow, regular series of thrusts again.

“You have read my mind,” Tsu’tey thought, smiling.

Norm’s thrusts got quicker and quicker as the pressure built up. Tsu’tey mentally moaned, each time they slammed into that perfect spot. Finally knowing he was about to orgasm Norm almost totally pulled out of Tsu’tey’s ass before making a final deep thrust, reaching down to rub tsu’tey own member. With a primal roar they orgasmed together. Norm filled Tsu’tey with his seed, while Tsu’tey’s cock shot into the grass. For a moment there was nothing but themselves.

They lay there exhausted, overwhelmed by the post orgasmic bliss. Feeling their bodies breathing in unison, the heat radiating off each other, the juices starting to leak from Tsu’tey’s ass and smeared across his stomach.

Eventually Norm removed himself from Tsu’tey with an audible pop. “I suppose we’re mates now,” he thought, still in tsaheylu with tsu’tey.

“Now we see how Eywa responds to our mating in our dreams,” Tsu’tey thought, shifting around. His ass felt incredibly tender.

“It’ll heal soon. But I think we both know what she’ll say,” Norm though, reading Tsu’tey’s mind. It had been a good fuck. Tsu’tey moved over to cuddle him on the mat, they were both too exhausted to climb into their hammocks. Anyway they would have to start working on building a group one now.

“One question,” Tsu’tey thought as they started preparing to go to sleep.

“Yeah?”

“Next time, can I be top? That is what your mind called it.”

“Yes Tsu’tey you can be top next time,” Norm thought, smiling as they drifted off.

Golden light was streaming through the canopy when Tsu’tey awoke. For a moment he was oblivious to the world, still lost in pleasant dreams. Clearly Eywa had approved of their mating. Mating? For a second his mind raced before he felt the weight of Norm against his back and he remembered. He smiled and noticed that they were still in tsaheylu. “You’re awake?” he thought and got no response. In fact he wasn’t sensing anything from Norm though tsaheylu, just a grey cloudy silence unlike any tsaheylu he had ever experienced. “Norm?” he asked out loud, concern rising in his voice.

“Yeah? What is it?” a mass on the other side of him said. Tsu’tey looked down to see sky person Norm uncurling from where he had been sleeping next to Tsu’tey’s chest.

“What are you doing?” Tsu’tey asked, pushing back against Norm’s dream walker body in surprise.

“Sorry,” Norm said, getting up. “It just didn’t feel right to slink away to my bunk alone after that. So I decided to come out and sleep with you. Broke every rule in the book.”

“How was it?” Tsu’tey asked, he was impressed that Norm would risk his true body like this.

“A bit scary in the darkness and the bugs.” He paused to swipe at one buzzing around his head. “Still, I felt safe with you,” he added.

Tsu’tey smiled at the cheesy line and suddenly scooped Norm into his arms. “Woah!” Norm exclaimed as Tsu’tey stepped away from the mat. Tsu’tey reached down and pulled off Norm’s mask. He struggled, for a moment before Tsu’tey leaned in to kiss him. For a second they kissed, Norm trying to stop Tsu’tey filling his mouth with Tsu’tey tongue. The moment Tsu’tey lowered Norm to the floor and broke the kiss Norm slammed the mask back down. “Christ Tsu’tey!,” he coughed loudly. “You could have killed me by doing that.”

“Apologies, I did not mean to hurt you,” Tsu’tey said, stepping back. He had forgotten why the sky people breathed through masks.

“Just give a guy some warning next time,” Norm replied, calming down.

“What do you mean, next time?” Tsu’tey said suggestively, running a hand across Norm’s chest.

“Alright, you win,” Norm said, submitting to Tsu’tey creeping hand and hardening dick. “Surprised you want to have me in this body?”

“I must be mated with my mate,” Tsu’tey explained, picking up Norm and holding him into his lap. “In either body.”

“No anal please,” Norm protested, Tsu’tey’s cock digging into his ass. “I want to be able to walk after this.”

“I know what you mean,” Tsu’tey noted. Now he was up and moving around his ass was smarting. No acrobatics today. “I’ll just have to use my hands,” he continued, pushing his hands into Norm’s shorts. He was also hard. Easily pulling down Norm’s shorts, why did they wear so many layers, he explained Norm’s sky person dick. For the most part it looked like his dream walker one, even if it was tiny in his hand.

He slowly started pumping Norm’s cock. Gripping the entire thing in his hand. “Oh god,” Norm panted as he worked. “Let me cum, please.”

“Not yet,” he whispered, keeping the speed slow, Letting Norm grind himself against his own dick. He shifted Norm slightly so he could lean down and kiss Norm’s mask. Finally as he felt himself nearing the climax he increased his speed. Norm made a great unmph and released his load into Tsu’tey hand. A second later he orgasmed himself, splattering Norm’s shorts. For a few seconds they panted in unison before Tsu’tey released Norm and lowered him to the ground.

“Thanks Tsu’tey!” Norm complained as he wiped the saliva Tsu’tey had left on his mask. “That’s another set of pants I have to wash.”

“You seemed to enjoy it,” Tsu’tey said, cleaning his hand on the ground.

“I suppose I did,” Norm admitted, relenting a bit. “Suppose that makes us mates in both bodies now.”

“I think it does,” Tsu’tey said, though perhaps they could go further next time.

“Anyway, let me get some new clothes, have breakfast and I’ll get on the link,” Norm said, walking somewhat unsteadily towards the shack.

“I thought you promised Carter you were going to have a sky person day?” Tsu’tey pointed out.

“I’ll take the afternoon off,” Norm replied.

Tsu’tey returned to where Norm’s dream walker body was still sleeping and picked up his loincloth. He had only just pulled it on when Norm’s dream walker body jerked to life. “That was quick?” Tsu’tey commented.

“I wasn’t very hungry,” Norm explained, searching for his discarded loincloth. “Man, I stink,” he said, smelling himself.

“You have a point,” Tsu’tey said, smelling himself as well. Their night of love had left them covered in juices and sweat.

“Race you to the river?” Norm asked.

“No fair, you didn’t get fucked,” Tsu’tey pointed out.

“I didn’t say what the winner gets,” Norm said suggestively, heading for the river. Smiling Tsu’tey followed.


	10. Chapter 10

Tsu’tey looked up at Naranawm as they stood on the concrete field outside the sky people base. Jake, Neytiri and himself had assembled there, along with a force of warriors to await the arrival of the first of the sky people from the ship. They were supposed to have arrived a while ago but there had been a delay. Something about warning lights and protocols. So instead they were waiting around on the concrete. He curled his foot in annoyance, he hated spending long periods of time on this surface. It was unnaturally hard on your feet, was hot in sunlight and cold in the dark. No wonder the sky people wore shoes.

“Why do you have to wear those clothes?” Tsu’tey asked, turning to look at Norm in his dream walker body and the boots and other sky person attire he had on. Only his na’vi necklace and braided hair showed Tsu’tey had trained him.

“I’m letting my human side take the lead today,” he explained laying the na’vi bow he had been carrying on the ground. “Plus I think the new arrivals will react better if I look like this.”

“Perhaps,” Tsu’tey admitted, seeing the logic, though he would have shown off his loyalty to the clan by staying in the loincloth. “You don’t find it constrictive?”

“A little,” Norm admitted, tugging at his shirt collar. “This body has got used to not wearing pants and it's quite a change to go back. But I’ll tough it out.”

“Surprised you made the effort,” Jake commented.

“Well my mother always said to look your best before a big event. Doubt I could get you back into a pair of trousers?” Norm joked.

“Nope, I’ve worn my last pair forever,” Jake replied, smiling.

“Okay we have confirmation that they’ve undocked and entered the atmosphere,” Metzger interrupted them, after listening to his headset for a moment.

“They’ve certainly haven’t been very chatty about the delay,” Jake said. “We’re sure they aren’t pulling a trick on us?”

“Until they’re down here? None. But I can’t see them waiting this late in the game to pull a fast one,” Metzger admitted, still trying to defend the sky people.

“Didn’t they refuse to allow the new avatar team members to come down?” Norm pointed out. “Talk about petty.”

“Yeah, we were going through the crew manifests and cargo inventory. When we asked for them to be on the first shuttle down they refused. Said they were not authorised to travel to the surface,” Make pointed out.

“Fine you’ve got me there,” Metzger admitted. “Probably makes sense for someone back on Earth. They don’t want to give us any more manpower or something. Still they changed their tune when we threatened to cancel the deal.”

“That’s good of them. But what will happen if they or any of the others want to stay?” Jake asked.

“I suppose we can let them stay. We've got the resources to spare and we can always do with an extra pair of hands. Providing we like and trust them. Plus if you’re okay with it,” Max said.

“I’m not telling you how to run your operations. You might be under our protection but I don’t consider you some kind of vassal. Though me and Mo’at will want to meet the avatar drivers in both bodies first if they want to get involved in the clan,” Jake said. Now that Tyso was out of the way Jake had lifted the restrictions on the other avatars visiting hometree. It hadn’t been plain sailing, some had complained about having to teach them basic tasks and insisted on being properly trained if they were going to be around all the time. Tsu’tey didn’t like it because it meant Norm was sharing the camp with other sky people which complicated their love making. There had been complaints.

“Let's break them in slowly. Not everyone will take meeting the clan on the first day in their stri _ d _ e,” Norm advised.

“But what will happen if they have lied? There are many of them and only a few of you,” Neytiri said.

“Well there are two hundred of them on the ship while I’ll admit it is going to be difficult for the security team to manage,” Metzger admitted. “But only half of them are going to be military. I doubt most of the miners or any of the  _ s _ cientists are going to be interested in a takeover attempt. The _ y _ ’re coming down without weapons and we’ve doubled security on the armoury so we should be the only ones with weapons, plus with central control we can see off and vent any block that shows trouble. Plus we’ve got you a lot around for some extra muscle,” he said pointing to the na’vi warriors around them.

“Yes, though hopefully it won’t come to that. I’m sure they’ll stick to the agreement. If it's just for the unobtanium,” Jake said, assuring Neytiri. “We’re just here to help you out. I want to make it clear to them we’re not your masters.”

“Despite the fact every part of the agreement was signed off on by you?” Metzger pointed out, smiling.

“Very funny,” Jake said and turned to the warriors.They formed a group, sensing a speech. “Now I know this is difficult for some of you, to see the sky people’s return. Some of you may wish to show them this is our land. To command and control them, even abuse them.” No they won’t Tsu’tey thought, he’d made sure that the warriors they had brought were reliable. “This cannot happen! I will personally punish any na’vi that lays a hand on a sky person. If we are ever to have true peace between our two peoples we must show them that we are not savages, that we are just and kind people. As such be firm but respectful to the sky people. Engage with them, find solutions to any issues, force, especially lethal force should only be used in the last resort. Now you understand?” Jake said.

“We understand olo'eyktan!” Tsu’tey replied, shortly followed by Norm and the rest of the warriors. After the speech Jake and Tsu’tey went over the plan with them. The ikran maktos of the group would escort the shuttle in as it landed, both to protect it from any wildlife and make a statement. Then they should surround the shuttle and let Metzger’s men escort them inside.

“Alright, the tower has the shuttle on radar,” Metzger said, relaying information over his headset from the command tower. Everyone burst into action. Warriors and soldiers raced to their positions while the ikran maktos took to the sky, ready to escort the craft to the ground. “Hold on, something's not right,” Metzger added, putting his hand to his ear.

There was a metallic roar as something shot overhead high above them. Tsu’tey could just see a flash of black and white before it disappeared. Everyone looked around unsure, the riders in the air circled, unsure what to do. This was not what was supposed to have happened. Several seconds later there was another roar as the shuttle appeared again, slower this time. Making a long slow bank around the base. “What the hell are they doing? This isn’t their agreed flight plan,” Norm said.

“Have they lied to us?” Tsu’tey asked, his hand tightening on his weapon. He could feel several other warriors doing the same.

“Hold it!” Metzger warned, raising his hand to calm everyone. “They’re probably just doing an overflight to confirm we’re keeping our end of the agreement and we don’t have a hundred warriors in the jungle ready to rush them. I’m sure we’d do the same in their shoes.” Tsu’tey sighed, he would not have trusted a sky person’s agreement either.

The shuttle finished its bank around the base and began its approach. The ikran maktos, finding the shuttle now where it was supposed to be moved to flank the machine, keeping position on its wings.

“I’d suppose we’ll have to forgive this navigational error,” Jake said, watching the craft approach.

“It happens,” Metzger commented. Tsu’tey also watched as the shuttle got closer. It was as big as he remembered, dwarfing the ikrans flying alongside it. He remembered his own encounter with one. His charge against the one carrying the bomb to destroy the tree of souls. How he had almost succeeded in boarding it, only to be wounded and fall so far.

“Bad memories?” Norm asked.

“How did you know?” he replied, pushing those painful memories away.

“I’m getting good at reading your face,” Norm explained, taking hold of his hand. He gripped it, he didn’t need to of course. But it helped.

The shuttle came over the base’s fence, the ikran peeling off as the craft’s engines pivoted upwards, blowing exhaust across the landing field. Even from here he could feel the force of the wind and the sky people were bracing themselves. The sound and vibrations were deafening, something he hadn’t picked up on last time. Jake and Norm already had their hands across their ears. He refused too, he didn’t want to show defeat so quickly.

Finally the machine lowered its landing wheels and touched down, its rear exit ramp facing them and the base. “Wait for it to cut engines!” Metzger shouted as one of the na’vi warriors startedHands up who wants me in the sequels? moving. Tsu’tey signalled him to wait as well just in case he refused to obey the sky person. For a few seconds the engines continued to roar before slowing to a dull whine.

“Alright. Move out!” Jake ordered. With that the na’vi and sky people raced out around the shuttle. The na’vi warriors took up positions all around the craft, bows and arrows ready but not drawn. Metzger’s soldiers instead form two columns leading from the shuttle to the base. Between the two columns Jake, Neytiri, Metzger, Max, Norm and himself walked slowly towards the shuttle’s still closed ramp, followed by a trolley with a crate on it.

As they approached the craft there was a hiss and the ramp began to lower. Tsu’tey could see the air distorting around it and smelt the stale smell of sky people air. The lowering ramp revealed 3 figures standing at the front of the bay. The man in front with his hand beyond his back, presumably their leader, wore a matching set of jacket and trousers faintly soldier like, with a hat over his exopack. The hat had a high peak containing an insignia, the meaning of which Tsu’tey didn’t know. It looked cleaner than the rest of the man’s uniform. His face was an expressionless mask as he eyed the group as they came into view. Beside him stood a soldier clad in their strange camouflage dress. He was unarmed but held his hands by his sides. A look of wariness flashed across his face as he quickly scanned the group. The final person was a short woman, dressed in non-military clothes and carrying a computer tablet. She almost appeared to flinch when she saw the na’vi but recovered his composure almost immediately. Tsu’tey looked at the rest of the bay behind them. It was mainly filled with cargo crates, containing what he didn’t know. There were other sky people pressed up against the back of the bay. Some civilians, some military.

The two groups stared at each other in silence for a second before Jake took the initiative. “Welcome!” he said, holding out his hand. Their leader looked at it for a second before stepping down the ramp and shaking it.

“Hello. I am flight commander Cameron Reed. Commander of the ISV Star of Commerce,” he announced in a flat, almost clipped accent.

“Jake Sully, olo'eyktan of the Omaticaya.” Cameron’s face wrinkled slightly in confusion at Jake’s use of na’vi but beyond that he betrayed nothing.

“Your communications did say you were negotiating in an indigenous capacity,” he noted dryly.

He turned to his two companions. “This is Major Zhen De, highest ranking member of RDA SecOps on the mission,” he said, pointing to the soldier.

“I realise the delicacy of the situation,” Zhen said with a false sense of warmth.

“Quite,” Cameron said, flashing him a look before turning to the female. “May I present deputy director Zooey Malone, highest ranked civilian on the mission.”

“Hi, I suppose this is an honour,” Zooey said, stepping forward and holding out her own hand.

“And I am Neytiri te Tskaha Mo'at’ite of the Omaticaya, mate of Jake Sully,” Neytiri said, stepping forward to take the offered hand. She could be so diplomatic sometimes, Tsu'tey noted. Zooe _ y _ let Ney _ t _ iri take her hand as if she expected her to rip it off.

“Mate?” Zooey asked, confused.

“It's a long story,” Jake said, blushing slightly.

Max coughed slightly and stepped forward to save Jake. “Hello, I’m Dr Max Patel. I’m a member of the avatar team and are representing the remaining human personnel on Pandora,” he said with a smile. “I’m disappointed you haven’t included a scientist in this introduction.”

“Apologies,” Cameron responded. “Members of the science teams are classified as civilians under mission parameters and Miss Malone was higher on the hierarchy. Though I do see the optics,” he admitted.

“Talking about scientists there were two members of the avatar project scheduled to be on your ship,” Max said.

“Ah, yes. There was some disagreement on them being on this flight,” Cameron noted.

“Something like that,” Max muttered. Cameron signalled back into the shuttle and two civilian sky people were brought forward, flanked by two soldiers. They stood confused at the top of the ram, staring with curiosity at the na’vi surrounding them.

“See, there is no problem,” Cameron said.

“Sure,” Max said, putting on a false smile.

“And who are the rest of you?” Zooey asked out of nowhere, turning to Norm and Tsu’tey who had been silently observing the events. Cameron’s face twitched, annoyed at this interruption.

“I am Tsu’tey te Rongloa Ateyitan, warrior of the Omaticaya,” Tsu’tey said, giving a formal if cold na’vi greeting. He was still unsure if these sky people deserved such respect but he wanted to be polite.

“And I’m Dr Norm Spellman, avatar project” Norm explained stepping forward to offer his hand. Zooey warmly accepted. “I am also Norm Spellman, warrior of Omaticaya” he added.

“What? How?” she said, looking between him and Jake in confusion.

“It's a long story,” he replied.

“He is also my mate,” Tsu’tey started to say but Norm flashed him a look. “He is a fine hunter,” he hastily corrected, mangling his words. As Norm had said, it's a long story and perhaps this was not the time to complicate it further.

“Now as per our agreement for access,” Cameron said, instantly returning the conversation to the matter at hand. “We will provide you with cargo and abide by your conditions in exchange for remaining unobtanium stocks. We are required to see evidence that this agreement will be honoured before we disembark.”

“I thought you’d ask for this,” Metzger said. “Captain Frank D Metzger, United Nations Expeditionary Force observer, well was. I’ll be in charge of the men keeping you safe during your stay here.” He looked over at Tsu’tey and the other warriors. “Though I have to warn you we will be keeping a permanent na’vi force here for the duration,” he warned and waved for the trolley to be brought forward.

The trolley was wheeled forward and the group moved to stand around the cra _ te. Metzger g _ estured to Jake who easily removed the top of the wooden box. Tsu’tey look down to see grey metal, unobtanium. The material that had brought the sky people t _ o  _ this world. “One standard crate now,” Metzger stated. “Further crates will be released once you have unloaded supplies and personnel to our satisfaction. The remainder of the agreed amount will be released when you are ready to leave. You will be required to operate the refinery to ensure a supply is maintained for future shipments,” he continued.

“May we inspect the contents?” Cameron asked.

“By all means,” Metzger said.

“Zhen?” Cameron said. Zhen stepped forward and lifted up several layers of unobtanium.

“Seems to be the correct amount. No way of grading the quality of course,” he reported, stepping back.

“We aren’t going to screw us over at this stage,” Max reassured them.

“I suppose you are correct,” Cameron admitted, “I will consult with my colleagues” he said, Zhen and Zooey retreated with him towards the shuttle and started whispering in a huddle.

“Surely they’re not going to reject the agreement?” Jake hissed.

“Seems a long way to go just to bring out the suicide  _ t _ ablets,” Metzger pointed out. “Probably a pre-agreed move to  _ s _ how all this isn’t entirely voluntary. Another directive from Earth, I bet.”

Cameron looked up from the huddle and returned to the awaiting group. “Very well, we, the crew and passengers of the _I_SV Star of Commerce accept the agreement and will abide by its conditions, where they do not endanger our personnel or miss_io_n hardware.” Zooey handed over a pi_e_ce of paper Tsu’tey assumed contained a written version of the agreement. He had never had success at learning _t_he sky people’s script. Max and Metzger quickly scanned the document before signing. Jake paused for a moment before Cameron handed _h_i_m_ a_ p_en.

“Sorry, getting kind of rusty at writing. Doesn’t help these things are so small now,” he commented as he scribbled a rough signature.

“Is it true?” Cameron asked quietly as he took the paper to sign it. “You’re really left your human body?”

“That’s correct,” Jake answered proudly.

“How?” Cameron asked, clearly unable to even imagine the idea.

“It's a long story,” Jake replied.

With the signings complete there was an audible relaxation. Sensing his moment Jake stepped forward. “I hope this can be the start of a new, more equal relationship between the na’vi and humanity,” he said, speaking both his Cameron and his group as to the others. “I don’t mean the corporation of course. Mining’s out for good but I do believe there is a lot both of our peoples can learn. With the right knowledge perhaps one day you will see the beauty of the world.”

“It's a nice speech,” Cameron admitted. “You’ll have to talk to Earth about a new relationship. I am forbidden to agree to any treaties or agreements outside of our stay. But I will pass on the message,” he added, seeing Jake’s crestfallen expression. “I am only a messenger after all.”

“At least we’re talking,” Jake admitted.

“So now that we’re done, what happens now?” Norm asked as the people in the cargo bay started shifting forward.

“Unloading cargo and personnel in advance of loading supplied unobtanium,” Cameron answered. “As per our communications cargo on this flight was mainly medical supplies along with the two avatar containers. My cargo chief wished to pass on his displeasure at the disruption to his schedule. Passengers is the standard fifty fifty split of civilian personnel, including the two avatar drivers, and SecOps personnel, without weapons as per the agreement. How do us wish to disembark them?”

“I’ll take over from here,” Metzger said, stepping forward to stand in the front of the shuttle.

“Alright!” he called out to the people in the cargo bay. “You will disembark in two lines and make your way to the hanger!” he pointed to the open hanger doors in the distance. “There you will be given a general induction and situation briefing. This will be done in a transitional environment on the account of our na’vi guests. Now move out!” Cameron glanced at Zhen.

“ _ D _ o as the man says,” Zhen called out to the men. Two streams of people started walking out of the shuttle, heading towards the hanger.

“Come on! Come on!” Metzger shouted as people headed past. “You won’t survive long on Pandora marching like that. Anyone would think this is your first time in an alien world!”

“I thought it was their first time?” Tsu’tey whispered as he and Norm watched them file past.

“He’s making a joke. Helps break the ice,” Norm explained as the last person left the shuttle, leaving only the pilots and Metzger’s men on the cargo ramp about to start unloading cargo.

“So let us see what these new humans are like,” Tsu’tey said, moving to fall in behind them.

“What did you say?” Norm said, grabbing his arm in surprise.

“let us see what these new humans are like,” he repeated, confused.

“Sorry,” Norm said, letting go of his arm. “It’s just the first time you’ve called us humans instead of sky people.”

“Apologies,” he said, trying to understand Norm’s reaction. “I thought you would prefer that name. I can go back to sky person if you like?”

“No I’m pleased. Just a little surprised that you’d choose this time to start calling us humans. Sky people were starting to be a proper name,” Norm explained, almost laughing at the situation.

“It seemed an appropriate time,” he admitted. “We are trying to start a new era between us after all, In fact it had happened without him realising it. Then again the name sky people had always suggested an alien, otherworldly difference between them and the na’vi, even if they did come from the sky but after spending so much time with them and especially Norm that no longer was really the case. Might as well call them what they called themselves.

Norm was suddenly misty eyed. “You have no idea what this means to me for some reason,” he said, brushing something from his eyes.

“Come now,” Tsu’tey said, taking his hand. “Whatever you are, you are still my mate,” he declared and kissed him. Still holding hands they headed towards the hanger and whatever the future would bring.

* * *

“Any reason why we’re head over here now?” Norm asked as they rode their pa’li towards the trees of voices. Tsu’tey looked over at his mate. Norm had changed back into a loincloth. Tsu’tey was happy to be back with the clan, even if it was only for a few days. Dealing with the new humans have proved tense for the first few days as they chafed under their regulations, even if they were sticking to them. Norm said that some of them weren’t too bad once you got to know them and the new dream walkers, sorry, avatars already wanted to visit the clan. Mainly though it had been boring as he and the other warriors waited around for something to happen outside of minor animal intrusions. Now that another group had taken over the guard role he was determined to enjoy the jungle again. Put first he had to do something he’d needed to do.

“I need to meditate. I need to be with Sylwanin for a while,” he explained as they reached the entrance to the gully that led to the trees.

“This to do with us?” Norm asked as they dismounted. Tsu’tey winced.

“Partly,” he admitted after a moment. “She was my first love, I just want to know she is happy about us.”

“And if she isn’t happy?”

“I hope she will not.” Tsu’tey replied. It had been beating in the back of his mind for some time. He didn’t want his memories of her corrupted by her anger. But he could not avoid this moment, better to get it over with. “I’m sure you would wish the same for your Trudy.”

“I suppose you have a point,” Norm replied, suddenly wistful at Trudy’s memory. “Just as long as you’re not cheating on me with a ghost.”

“You are my mate. You know I could never do that,” Tsu’tey got defensive at the suggestion. Unfaithfulness was a great taboo.

“It was a joke Tsu’tey,” Norm said, putting Tsu’tey at ease.

It was a short walk to the trees. Tsu’tey smiled as they walked through the branches of the trees. With everything that had happened since he had last here he was longing for the beauty of the bond. “Do you want me to give you some space?” Norm asked as Tsu’tey prepared his tswin.

“No, that won’t be necessary. Providing you aren’t too much of a distraction,” he replied. The tree of voices was always a personal event, usually done alone in small groups, disruption was frowned upon. “Perhaps you should commune with Eywa,” he suggested.

“Would be interesting to see if anything has changed after the dreamhunt. Will drive Carter up the wall of course,” Norm noted. “Not that that’s going to stop me.” He smiled and readied his own tswin.

Tsu’tey chuckled at the statement and brushed his tswin against the tendril he was holding. He let the voices, the emotions, the thoughts wash over him. For a while he simply swam in it letting his mind be reinvigorated by the experience. Eventually he allowed himself to concentrate again and the real world swung into focus. Norm was setting on a root near him, a look of intense concentration on his face. He’s trying to force it, Tsu’tey realised, you had to get go and let Eywa take you to where you need to be. He thought about telling him that but decided against it. He would learn eventually. He had so far.

He turned away slightly and thought about Sylwanin. He felt the bond shift, the voices in the link fading into the background slightly. He looked up and she was there, just as he remembered. “Sylwanin,” he whispered. She smiled at him as their hands touched. His mind said he could feel her but his body knew it wasn’t real.

“I know you would return,” she said.

“I always said I would,” he replied. The emotions filling his mind threatened to overwhelm him. “Despite all that has changed I always will return to you.”

“What has changed?” she asked, confused.

“I am afraid you were taken away from me years ago. You were killed by the sky people.” It still hurt to think about her death but it needed to be explained.

“I see,” she replied, in that slightly unconcerned way that memories reacted to news of their deaths. “And what has happened since then? Are you now mated to Neytiri?”

Oh Eywa! you are making this so hard, Tsu’tey thought. “No I am not,” he admitted. “She is mated to a dream walker. A sky person warrior called Jake Sully who became toruk makto to lead us to a great victory.” He recounted the details of their great victory.

“But what of you Tsu’tey?” she asked.

“I’m sorry Sylwanin!” Tsu’tey cried out, almost sobbing. “Despite you being the love in my life, I have found another!” He looked over to where Norm was sitting still in thought. “They are another dream walker like Jake Sully. They might not be a warrior. In fact they’re a scientist. But they were willing to fight with us, showing that they were worthy of learning our ways. Along the way I realised there was something more between us. It was not a conventional courtship but we are now mated in front of Eywa. They are also a male,” he added after a moment's pause.

He looked at her expecting anger, bitterness, or betrayal to appear across her features. Instead she simply smiled. “What’s his name?” she asked.

“Norm, Norm Spellman. But you are not displeased?” he asked.

“As you said I am dead. I do not want you to remain mated to my memory forever,” she pointed out. She turned her face towards Norm as if she could see him, though she was most likely sensing Tsu’tey’s feelings for him. “I sense that he is a good person,” she said.

“He is that,” Tsu’tey admitted. “Perhaps a little rough when it comes to his skills but he has proved adaptable.” Sylwanin’s reaction was a relief. All the fears he had had in the back of his mind of mating with Norm had been washed away.

“Does this change things between us?” she asked, a flash of concern appearing in her eyes.

“Of course not!” he declared, reassuring her. “I will never forget you. I will still come here to see you.”

“You always kept your word,” she replied. “Though I am a little surprised, you, who hated the sky people so much, ended up mated to one.”

“It was a surprise to me as well.” he admitted as Sylwanin looked at Norm again. “But as you used to say, the best things in life come in surprises.”

“I certainly know someone who is in for a surprise,” she commented, turning to him and smiling into his eyes.

“Shit!” Norm suddenly exclaimed, recoiling away from the branch of a tree of voices he had been communing with and falling on his ass.

“What is it?” Tsu’tey asked, his concentration totally broken, the smiling face of Sylwanin fading away into the movement of the trees.

“Sorry,” Norm muttered, scrabbling to his feet. “It's just I saw her. She was speaking to me. That she’d never imagined me with you.”

“Who?” Tsu’tey asked, possibilities running through his mind.

“Grace!” Norm replied. “Grace is alive within Eywa!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well I hope you've enjoyed my story. Sorry to end on a bit of cliff hanger but I felt like the story had run its course and this was good to go out on a bang (plus setting up a future sequel someday). 
> 
> I've learned a lot from this story and while I haven't been able to do everything I wanted to do, I'm proud of my work. Please kudos, comment and look out for future fan fics coming soon.


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